Shia Islamic Art that Defies Islamic Constraint on View in Pakistan

THE NEWS INTERNATIONAL

 Komail Aijazuddin's depiction of Imam Hassan. one of Shi'a Islam's
most venerated figures, lying dead on a fabric as red as Caravaggios. Courtesy Studio 360

PAKISTAN -  Religious symbolism has always been a rich area of exploration for artists in all ages. In the history of Islamic art, the debate on the making of human images – the obscurity of its permissibility — has clogged, in various phases in the past, the creation of works that dare to symbolically represent the revered protagonists of the great events that acquired the stature of mythical epics. But thankfully, they kept cropping up, especially in the Shia dominant regions of the world. The “Condolence Theatre” — a two-person exhibition that opened at the Canvas Gallery on Tuesday [in Karachi] — explores the events of Karbala in all its dramatic description. The mourning rituals of Ashura are at the heart of Shia Islam. And Muhammed Ali, in his paintings captures the core of the mourning rituals. Komail Aijazuddin, another artist displayed his panels that deal with the same theme but in his works the events of Karbala are crystallised in a different light. [link]