Bint-e-Hawwa - Online Solo Exhibition of Figurative Paintings

Show unveiling on 18th February 2021 at 10.00am

Previous Next

About Zakir Hussain's art:

He chooses to be known by the moniker ‘Tanha’. Artist Zakir Hussain is a reflector, a translator, and a mediator; creating works that act as a window, providing insight into the complex subjects of contemporary society, offering unique interpretations, and raising difficult questions to the viewers.

His works are like a time capsule where Zakir expresses his individual experiences, in the environmental, social, and political realms. His work has a unique way of evoking deep thought. He likes to think about reality, about the meanings of things, possibly offering the viewer a unique perspective. Unrelated people, places or objects come together in a single narrative in his works. He represents everyday objects in completely new contexts, placing them within bleak and still backgrounds to make the viewer think about what one takes for granted in one’s day-to-day life.

His current online solo exhibition focusses on his favourite subject – women and is titled “Bint-e-Hawwa”. “In Arabic Bint means daughter and Hawwa means the first woman to step on the earth. All human beings in this world are the children of the same mother (Hawwa) and father (Adam) as per Quran. In the Bible, Adam and Hawwa are referred to as Adam and Eve,” explains Zakir.

He continues, “The Almighty has put in every woman, the mercy, motherly, sisterly, wifely and daughterly affections to maintain a healthy relationship. This makes the relationship beautiful and powerful. If the woman had not been there, the whole world would have looked colourless. Apple is a symbol of knowledge, beauty, freshness, and colour. In my paintings, an apple is often seen instead of a woman's face. It's my belief that every woman in the world is beautiful.”

Zakir combines different artistic styles in a single work, exploring the presence of recognizable shapes paired with fluid, uncertain imagery to guide the viewer without providing concise explanations. His works are not just optical effects; each approach attempts to trigger the observer, launching a message. A message that is sometimes hidden, but always there, providing a communicative dimension to his work.

“I transform my own anguish concerning the present and also the future into something tangible which is simple, hopeful and beautiful, I wish to offer through my art and without being superficial, a message of hope to society, my community and the world at large,” adds Zakir.