Figuration is not merely an abstraction of the physical form, but could be looked at as a vessel for memory, emotion, and lived experience. The exhibition that focuses on figuration was an invitation to share personal histories and internal states through visual representation.  This show was titled ‘Shaping Figures’, curated by FS Karachiwala and was up at ArtScene gallery in July. The exhibition was an evolving dialogue—between figuration, between what can be seen and what lies beneath—where the figure becomes a method: of seeing, of remembering, of holding space. A pool of artists from across Pakistan tried to contextualize these layers of forms that give meaning to human existence, not as definitive answers, but as vessels that hold space for complexity.

Of Gifts and Fairydust

Akash Jivraj, a fine artist based in Karachi, a graduate of the Arts Council of Karachi, having worked under the supervision of great mentors, presented works featuring gift boxes. He entertained the idea that gifts create these punctuations in life that bestow upon us momentous occasions—like a sprinkling of fairydust, a blessing to be joyfully received, held, and—without a yearning for possession—let to pass through.

The Drops of Rain

An award-winning young artist, Jawad believes identity is an external façade that one creates to make sense of their existence in the world. But it is what underlies that façade that, without a mark, knows where it belongs. He believes in giving—not as a way to appease the false identities of those around him—but to cherish what lies within himself, something grounded in its formlessness.

Surrender

A disturbing reflection of society’s scrutiny—resulting in fractured experiences for those at the receiving end—was translated into powerful visual narratives by Mohsin ur Rehman Baig (b. 1997). His is a way of catharsis, allowing him to confront and transform painful emotions arising from insecurities and alienation that he has internalized. Here, the process of artmaking becomes a journey to the inner world where transformation takes place. His painting titled Surrender speaks volumes about the transformative power of artmaking.

Dareechay

Similar to Mohsin’s work, Nabiha Gillani—who has exhibited her work extensively—offers a celebration of self-acceptance and self-exploration through the lens of neurodivergence. Her work seeks to free oneself from the internal pressures and burdens imposed by societal expectations. The birds symbolize the letting go of these weights that keep one looping in cycles of despair. Her work serves as an ode to the resilience of the neurodivergent experience and a declaration of alliance with the self—a claim to space and voice in a world that often marginalizes difference.