In the floral art of Mona Naqsh, each collection is a new discovery and one responds to the translated beauty of nature with a personal interpretation of tonal variations. One finds in the artist’s work a personal style and elegance with settings for the subject that initiate a dialogue with the viewer. Where once the dominant element of Mona’s work was a young artist’s discovery of nature’s beauty, her art now is tempered by mature contemplation and personal observations. In Mona Naqsh’s work one is aware of not only the overt beauty alone as the artist communicates the exquisite transience of her theme symbolizing life itself. A consistent vocabulary articulates a continuity encompassing disparate media and scale, and accordingly the paintings incorporate classical settings; tall windows, high ceilings, archways and doors spaces in which flowers appear to bloom. 

In her recent collection of work, Mona introduces numerous elements of art that particularly interest her. One finds a love of porcelain introduced in settings for the flowers, vases decorated with miniature landscapes rendered by the artist with magnifying glass in hand. The artist’s love of crystal is evident and creates a piquant contrast with the wild flowers gathered. Organic life has always held meaning for mankind, recent archeologists speculated that Neanderthal cave dwellers placed flowers on grave sites, and throughout history flowers have symbolized a language of their own.

Artists in Chinese history evolved a secret language discernable only to the initiated thus forbidden subjects were articulated. In Italy, the goddess Flora, depicted against a mass of blooms, was an ancient flower deity, a fertility symbol able to create fecundity in barren stock.  In Western art, flowers were portrayed in vanitas schools of painting and referred to the transitory nature of life, often with insects hidden among the leaves. Modern artists such as Georgia O’Keefe and Elizabeth Blackadder have taken flowers as a subject far from the banal images of Victorian floral paintings; while Hockney and Patrick Proctor are among those famous artists who turn to flowers for a respite and solace from their complex work and lives.  

Artists in Pakistan seldom use flowers as the single subject of their aesthetic strivings; Mona Naqsh is a rare example. Her source of inspiration was initiated by an appreciation of nature nurtured by an exquisite sequence of flower paintings executed by her father, Jamil Naqsh, almost two decades ago and, in her own eyes, she is still striving to capture her father’s vision of natural beauty. As homage to her father, Pakistan’s Modern Master Jamil Naqsh, now based in London, Mona had incorporated pigeons in her work, a famous aspect of the senior Naqsh’s art.

Mona grew up surrounded by art. She remembers the discipline she accepted and that was never to enter her father’s studio while he was working. Instead she would wait patiently for him to be free before showing her own artistic efforts. He was her teacher and her muse. Since then the artist’s work has travelled widely to considerable acclaim.

Recently attending a Press Conference in Dubai, Mona spoke of it as an exciting experience with much to anticipate. There is considerable interest shown in art and dedicated people creating a cultural ambience. In particular Mona spoke of an association titled: `Poetic Strokes’ run by Ms.Ayesha Imtiaz with a dedicated team in Dubai. `Poetic Strokes’ was launched with the objective of promoting awareness of the art and culture of Pakistan. It is a time when Pakistan’s contemporary artists are currently making a significant presence in top auction houses from around the world and the interest is growing globally.

Meeting Mona Naqsh in Karachi, Ayesha Imtiaz began a fruitful collaboration whereby Ms.Imtiaz curated a solo exhibition of the artist’s work at the DIFC (Dubai International Financial Centre), an impressive structure that houses galleries, offices and auditoriums. Mona spoke with deep admiration of the iconic cultural figure in Dubai, who graciously agreed to be the Chief Guest at her exhibition, the active senior lady of over nine decades, Begum Mariam Behram, to whom art is a meaning of universal appeal.  


Marjorie Husain