Mona Naqsh took her formal training from her father Jamil Naqsh, the legendary artist of Pakistan. Mona’s career began to shape in an artistic environment, where painters, writers, poets, and art collectors would frequently visit. Her exuberant floral expression which she has been painting for the past three decades now belongs to her in spirit and form. Mona’s oeuvre is a virtual flower fest but there is more to her painting skill than just defining the intricacies of flora and foliage. She has held solo exhibitions in Pakistan, Dubai, America, and Abu Dhabi, whilst also participating in several group shows.
Her books Mona, Meditative Trance and An ode to my father Jamil Naqsh are a true reflection of her artistic journey.
ARTIST STATEMENT
It was May 7, 2019, and the news of my father’s hospitalization had jolted the entire family. By the time I reached London, he was in hospice care. When he was informed about my presence, he opened his eyes and placed his hand around my chin. That moment still brings tears to my eyes.
Caressing his forehead and in a quivering tone, I whispered near his ear, “Jiji I will show you my drawings once you get better”. In that very condition, he nodded his head in affirmation. Unfortunately, the time was not in my favor.
This series of drawings have been created in the profound memory of my dear father, Jamil Naqsh.
Through this humble series, I have tried to portray elements of our love and bond by incorporating my line of subject, flowers, with that of my father’s signature pigeons.
He once said, “Subject is not important, how you treat your subject is important”. I translated this vocabulary into my drawings and paintings.
This harmonious interplay of inheritance and learning between the subjects not only takes me down a nostalgic path but also allows me to stretch the doors of my imagination.
Placing a photograph of my father near me as I engaged in the process of creation, enabled me to bring depth into my work and helped to create an evocative and enigmatic essence in the atmosphere.
Every line, form, light, and shade in these drawings are in conversation with one another and speak only one language the language of love.
This exhibition has two shapes of relationship one is of father and daughter and other is of ustad and shagird.
Nature is full of surprises. In this secret world, everything is neatly arranged and interconnected. Every entity is held in a delicate balance. If we shed more light on relationships and their intricate network, we reveal fascinating facts about their purposes, place, and function.
My current work depicts these relationships and the conversation with mankind as we are one of Nature’s employees.
CURATOR’S NOTE
Mona Naqsh speaks the language of flowers. Her delicate blooms are Mona’s signature to the art world. Mona’s paintings have a unique sensibility. Flowers provide a source of artistic inspiration for Mona and she paints them with devotion and intensity. Each painting creates a story of its own, its stillness showing a depth of thought and meaning.
Like Mona said,
“Listen to the silence, it mirrors the truth,” and I feel beautiful art always speaks to you. In Mona’s work, there is a silent yet strong tribute to her father. The presence of the pigeon, the amalgamation of textures, and the importance of drawing transcend from the master artist Jamil Naqsh.
The intensity of observation was something that Mona’s father had instilled in her from a young age. He was a mentor in honing her painting techniques and all of Mona’s formal training was accomplished under his tutelage. In her current collection, Mona has blossomed in her style, taking the best from her father but showcasing her unique mastery of the art of floral portraits.
Floral composition grew in prominence in Europe in the 1600s and reflected an urban class who associated art with a splendid lifestyle inspired by all the great impressionists; Renoir, Monet, Van Gogh, and Picasso. Deeply impressed by the master painters;
Mona Naqsh believes that you can see God in the beauty of flowers. Echoing the words of Chagall “I see God in every bunch of flowers.” Mona’s composition showcases an arrangement of flowers in vases the element of drawing evident in the relationship between the buds, the leaves, and the pigeon. The addition of the pigeon in her work is her direct link to her father who was known for his love of painting pigeons.
The objects in her paintings portray the contrast between “real” and “unreal” fragile and strong and organic and artificial. Mona’s work has a certain synergy that transcends the painting with moods and shades of light signifying different times of the day. The ingenious use of newsprint in black and white juxtaposed with color and translucent patterns create a strong background visual.
For me, Mona Naqsh’s art remains traditional and timeless. Her work’s organic energy translates to the beauty of nature. Floral paintings have fascinated circles of artistic creativity for decades and to this day bring delight to where ever they are placed.
“I want my paintings to create a warmth of space, a mood of joy, and a thing of beauty.” Her present collection, a befitting ode to her father does just that.
Pomme Amina Gohar
In the process of creativity, a divine moment will come where you later realize that this is not done by me alone. -Mona Naqsh
“In nature, everything is neatly arranged and interconnected. This intricate network has a silent language of patterns which appears, again and again, relevant to all forms of life.” -Mona Naqsh
“Listen to the silence It has a language. Create a dialogue with that silence because it mirrors
the truth.” -Mona Naqsh
