Nature, when regarded with reverence, can indeed unleash divine probabilities of visual
experience. With the enormous diversity of the evolving forms and colors in this heavenly
domain, there are those who persistently observe and capture these remarkable
transformations. One such devotee to nature’s benevolence is Mona Naqsh, who never seems to
desist from indulging into the delightful flora with an impulsive penchant. Be it
chrysanthemums, dahlias, carnations, nigellas or lilies, Naqsh plunges into the deeper forms to
dauntlessly reveal the divine secrets of these Godly creations. Having honed her discernment
for these botanical wonders for more than two decades, she has carved an inimitable niche for
herself in this rare genre of nature painting.

Naqsh gathers strength for her paintings from the persistent sketching that she undertakes
during her after hours, almost akin to a compulsive ritual. The medium of graphite that she
chooses for drawing, gives her the necessary latitude to impeccably reproduce what she
visualizes. Gracefully waltzing between the real and the imaginary, Naqsh manages to realize
shapes and forms that produce wonderful visual arrangements. Her belief in nature’s precise
mathematical reckoning behind every creation, helps her to navigate into the obscure nuances
of objects. She passionately expresses her subjects utilizing every ounce of the lead medium’s
flexible features. Consequently, in an obsessive continuance to her love’s labor invested so
devotedly to sketching, she embarks upon the sacred expedition to reincarnate her drawing
experiences and personal insight on the canvas. The choreography of lilting flowers, the
pristine reflections through crystal vases, the playful division of space and the ornate ground
that seems to bring it all together, are the focal ingredients for Naqsh’s distinctive recipe.

Her choice of the medium of oil, whether on canvas, board or paper, is purely based on its ease
of handling, the numerous possibilities of unique textures and the richly layered body that the
medium produces. Albeit, the exceptional command over the medium is solely attributable to
the contemplative application and bold initiatives that the artist has endured over the years.

Mona Naqsh is the prodigious progeny of the national painter Jamil Naqsh whose work is
acclaimed worldwide. Her work reflects the soft regimental training she received from her
father during her early years who nurtured her with paternal affection and motivational
counsel. Today she has blossomed into a professional painter with a distinctive style which has
been widely acknowledged in country and abroad. Relationships, Naqsh considers, are the
living core of her paintings. Compositions that depict trivial articles, exude a certain sense of
nostalgia based on the relationship that was fostered. Artworks that Naqsh produces, according
to her, are a reflection of the soul that will live on forever, with eternal freshness that thrives in
the sanctuary of frozen moments.

Amongst the various characteristics of Naqsh’s paintings, there are features which give the
audience an opportunity to construe the artist’s work for enhanced visual pleasure. Although
Naqsh depicts an endless interplay of light with color to create exquisite tonal gradations,
nevertheless, she yearns to focus on the exploration of line and space – while ensuring that the
repetitive objects manifest diversity every time they are painted! The deliberate yet controlled
fragmentation of objects, the spontaneous progression of fractal patterns and the evolvement of
stimulus deploying color and its diaphanous properties, are a hallmark of the artist. It is the
meaningful culmination of these hybrid concepts which instils the artist’s unique identity into
the paintings. Resultantly, art aficionados find this exclusive mode of expression conducive to
their ardent and agile observation.

Creating a sensuous atmosphere in the painting, with the given subjects, remains to be an
exclusive domain of Naqsh. Still life has never been so dynamic and moving owing to the
extraordinary representation of moisturous ambience, misty environment, sparkling reflections
and meticulous ornamentation! It is the artist’s seamless spiritual communication with nature
that moves her brush in relevant directions, chasing logical forms, congenial colors and most of
all voicing her soul to make her paintings ooze with empathy!

M Saeed Kureshi
Sitara-e-Imtiaz
Art Critic, Author
www.tinyurl.com/mskureshi