Parallel Lines

Parallel Lines features drawings and paintings by Ahsan Mohiuddin and Sayed Farid Alam, respectively. The work explores traditional and contemporary geometries to subvert the anticipated logic of space.

The two artists use the same starting point to embark on wildly different journeys and arrive at entirely different conclusions. Alam’s motifs, while referencing traditional Islamic Geometric patterns, are painted with a completely non-traditional, vibrant colour palette. His preferred choice of medium is acrylic on canvas - the synthetically produced paints also contrast vividly with the handmade, earth-based pigments usually employed within the traditional arts.

Mohiuddin, on the other hand, retains a monochromatic palette working with simple graphite on paper. His geometries are lean, intricate and methodical. The forms in his drawings interlock via repetitive patterns to build optical illusions, assisted by the grey tonality in producing spatial confusion.