The war and crime, religious grudge and racial conflict arbitrarily exist in this civilized world. The development of philosophy, science and technology have contributed enormously in achieving human development and betterment of the mankind. Unfortunately, while at the peak of the evolution of human development, certain acts against nation, society and environment have jeopardized the progress. At the same time, the civilization has gradually been transformed into a mechanical state and has incorporated practice of a humanism and fanaticism. This imbalance has affected our environment that accommodates both the humankind and animal class.

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The subject and introductory thoughts of the paintings are sequentially illustrated in the thesis entitled “Civilization and Destruction”. The focus on the subjects include mentally shattered children in the war and conflict; environmental pollution and the children affected by the environmental imbalance; and child labor, slavery and children troubled by the acts of anti-humanism. Facial expression of the human being is Mohammad Iqbal’s prime interest. He tries to express the emotions of human nature - sorrow, happiness, melancholy, illness and laughter through faces. The paintings do not expose any particular child’s face. In fact, they are universal and impersonal. Usually the faces are drawn from imagination and recollection of the past which reflects thought and view point on different phenomena of life.

 

Artist Mohammad Iqbal’s narrative begins about 50m years ago with the mountainside a backdrop that has been witness to the erection of the statues from a great civilization, and their eventual reduction to rubble. Nearby, dismembered figures too paint images of ages past, while elegant horses symbolize power and conflict. Then there is the artist’s hallmark, floating spots that symbolize environmental pollution cleverly serve to remind us of our ongoing disregard for nature and for the future.

 

 

 Exhibition Dates: 20 April – 10 May 2018