Imran Channa

Imran Channa
Born Sindh
Nationality Pakistani
Education National College of Arts
Known for Visual artist
Awards Award of Excellence by Artist Association of Punjab , Lahore
Website
www.imranchanna.com

Imran Channa (Urdu: عمران چنه‎, is a contemporary visual artist based in Lahore, Pakistan. He works in multiple media, including painting, drawing, sculpture, digital art and interactive art.[1] He has been exhibiting nationally and internationally. He is currently a finalist for the Sovereign Asian Art Prize 2010 Hong Kong. He teaches at the National College of Arts, Lahore. He lives and works in Lahore.

Life

Imran Channa was born in Shikarpur, Sindh. After completing his initial education in Shikarpur in 1998, he moved to Hyderabad to explore art, where he met with artist, art teacher and writer Fatah Halepoto. He worked for 3 years in Hyderabad under the influence of his teacher . In 2001 he enrolled in the Department of Fine Arts at National College of Arts, Lahore. Again he enrolled in the same institution in MA Hons Visual Arts Programme. He finished his MA Hons in Visual Arts in 2008.

Art career

Various critics and publications have spoken of the direction and impact of Channa's work. Asim Akhtar in Pause Play wrote, "There is a revolutionary lexicography behind Channa’s visual vocabulary that is deeply rooted in the syntax and morphology of that visual modernity, and without it one will never learn how to read his pictures. His art is the very vision of an alterity that sets the political tyranny of language off balance – and with that liberates those who have gathered around the festive occasion of his art."[2] In Starring: The Artist', Quddus Mirza said, "The interplay of obvious and unusualness makes his work, interesting and intriguing."[3] Reflecting on the focus of his work and its impact, Yee-Wan Koon in MUSE wrote, "Imran Channa's work is based on historical perspectives. He questions the authenticity of history, which is constructed and manipulated by the power." Find The Real Jinnah, work exhibited nationally and internationally many time in Redo Pakistan](Lahore, Karachi, London) "Rising Tide", Mohatta Palace Karachi,[4] "creating common wealth"Creating Common Wealth India, "between black and white" canvas gallery karachi." The art critic Maheen Bashir Adam Jee wrote in the article "messages for The Discerning" that: "Channa’s work, ‘Making of the History,’ defies the norm with its very title. The deliberate inclusion of “the” in the title challenges more than just grammar. Channa questions the veracity of the Badshahnama – a tale of kings, commissioned by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan – and the practice of getting one’s history written under one’s own auspices. The authenticity of Badshahnama’s account, on the making of the Taj Mahal, was first called into question by historian P. N. Oak, who asserted that the Taj Mahal was, in fact, an ancient Hindu temple of Lord Shiva, usurped for Queen Mumtaz Mahal."[5]

Latest work

Lik Likoti

In his recent works at Canvas Gallery, Karachi, emphasises the way history has been wistfully fabricated by those who were given the responsibility to preserve its authenticity. the central idea of the works were based on 'Lik LIkoti', a sindhi term for the native game of 'hide-and-seek' that suggest the inconsistency of visual reality and the intriguing phenomenon of 'now you see it- not you don't '. The 12 graphite drawings from the larger segment of the repertoire which bears a different treatment compared to Channa's previous works. these enderings guide the viewers through the gruelling events recalled from the past, portraying the country's independence and the heart rendering exodus across the freshly demarcated territory. the delicately drafted drawings, ' Lik Likoti2 A to L ', have been transformed into fluid artefacts that fuse in and out of reality; a style of expression exclusively improvised by the artist. The rhythmic fading of the composition across the paper resulting from the undulating horizontal swashes, culminates into a momentarily visible anguish of those who suffered. Consequently, the oscillating chiaroscuro between the countless wavy lines conveys the ambiguities that hang the country's past, albeit in a demeanour that reflects mature sobriety. The four large installation ' Lik Likoti' 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D arranged by the art it are composed of wooden boxes, akin to those used for transporting painting. The enclosed pictures of migrants moving on trains, bullock carts, horse carts, and many thousands on foot, are barely visible from a small slit sawed across the upper end of the boxes. This arrangement, once again, suggests the partial obscurity of history that has perhaps been deliberately misquoted and concealed. Channa believes that illusion has the potential to overcome the rationality of the mind and can persuade it to accept the fabricated accounts that defy historical facts.

Memories, series

Imran Channa has used Graphite on paper to illustrate that photograph is the most perfect picture of the past. The “Memories” series of Imran Channa is based on visual investigation. The black and white lacklustre art pieces deal with the historical perspectives, questioning the authenticity of the history which is manipulated and constructed by the power. “These large graphite drawings are a deliberate act of making and erasing records from history, until it merges into single plan by compressing time and motion” explained Channa.

Badshahnama

This is his latest body of work in which was displayed in TMproject gallery Geneva, Switzerland,this is most influential work criticism on Badshahnama (Padshahnama in Persian) (Book of Kings) through art perspective on making of the history. This exhibition was the part of 50 JPEG off programme Quartier des Bains large art Events held in Geneva Switzerland and Channa's work got highly appreciated in Geneva. On This body of work Channa stated that " This body of work is based on historical visual investigation of the most celebrated book on Mughal miniature painting called BADSHAHNAMA (The book of Kings). Basically, the BADSHAHNAMA is known as the great book of Mughal miniature painting. It is written as the official history of Mughal kings in Shah Jahan's reign. The main purpose of this book is to preserve and document the official visual history of Mughal kings. It is a commissioned book of Mughal history in traditional art of miniature painting. This book, on traditional art, was designed as a historical propaganda of the Mughal times.

In this work I have dislocated and manipulated all the images of the book, creating the sense of construction, so as to question the making and authenticity of the history, by digitalizing this traditional miniature to question its conventional and traditional methods of making which is considered as unique and sacred piece of art.”[6]

For the sake of art Channa travelled to Europe where he visited a lot of museums like Musée du Louvre Musée d'Orsay, Uffizi Polo Museale Galleria dell'Accademia, Museo Nazionale etrusco di Villa Giulia and so on, where he encountered with the history of art .Nowadays he is working on the project called "Museums and Meanings". In 2010, Channa embarked on an international tour along with the group Redo Pakistan, with multiple shows across London.[7]

Exhibitions

2013- Solo Project with XVA gallery at Art Basel HK 2013. Hong Kong.[8]

2012, “Lik Likoti” Solo show at Canvas Gallery Karachi.[9] 2011, “The Memory is The Message” solo show at XVA gallery Dubai, UAE.[10]

2011, “After All” group show curated by Quddus Mirza at Royat gallery.[11][12]

2011. Contemporary Shahnama, millennium painting Exhibition traveling show at NCA in Lahore.[13][14][15]

2011, Common Threads: Contemporary Art from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Iran and Pakistan. Xerxes gallery with NMart gallery at the Bastakiya at the Heritage House Gallery. Duabi.[16]

2010: The sovereign Asian Art prize finalist exhibition, ARTSPACE at Helutrans, Singapore.

2010: The Rising Tide, Group Show, curated by Naiza khan at Mohatta Palace Karachi.[17] [18][19]

2010: Slick 2010. Art fair, Paris.[20]

2010: Creating Common wealth, Group show Curated by Ragini Gallery, New Delhi India.

2010: "Fatah Je Asay Pasay" Group show (Green Cardamom) at V.M. Art Gallery Karachi, Sindh Museum Hyderabad

2010: "Badshahnama" Solo show at Tmproject Gallery Geneva, Switzerland.[21][22]

2010: "Structures Within An Intervention" - A Group Show curated by Meenakshi Thirukode at The Guild Art Gallery, New York, USA.

2010: "Making of The History" Two-person show at Canvas Gallery Karachi.

2010: "The Havelian Express" 3 person show at CAIS Gallery Hong Kong.

2009: "Tradition & Tension" 4 person show at Art Scene Gallery Karachi

2009: "Patrons Of "Oh My God! I Can Buy Art!" Group show at Grey Noise gallery Lahore.

2009: Redo Pakistan. Deptford X festival London

2009: Redo Pakistan Group show in the form of symposium at Alhamra art council Lahore

2009: "Between Black & White" 4 person show at Canvas Gallery Karachi.

2009: "Redo Pakistan" a traveling show (Karachi, Lahore, Pakistan, England, UK, Dhaka, Bangladesh) arranged by Other Asias, a London based organization at Shanakhit Festival 2009 Karachi.

2009: "Starring: The Artist" Group show at Indus Valley Gallery Karachi

2008: Degree show at Zahoor-ul-Akhalq Gallery National College of Arts.

2008: Young artist exhibition at Alhmara Art Council Lahore.

2007: “Dropping Tears Together” an anokha laadla collective live art performance at Alhamra Art Council Lahore.

2006: “Places Real and Imagined" Group Exhibition at Alhamra Art Gallery, Lahore.

2005: “Art Aid” Group Exhibition at Convention Center Islamabad.

2005: “Voices” Group Exhibition by Pakistan Development Forum Islamabad.

2005: “Emerging Talent” Group Exhibition at V.M. Art Gallery Karachi.

2005: "Memories" Degree Show at National College of Arts Lahore.

2003: Group Exhibition of water colors at Art Scene Gallery, Lahore.

2002: Group Exhibition of Printmaking at Zahoor-ul-Akhlaq Gallery Lahore.

References

  1. ↑ http://imranchanna.com/bio.html
  2. ↑ Asim Akhtar. PAUSE PLAY. Libas international Magazine, Volume 23 issue 2010. Lahore
  3. ↑ 2009. Mirza, Quddus Starring: The Artist. IVS Publication Karachi.
  4. ↑ http://universes-in-universe.org/eng/nafas/articles/2011/the_rising_tide
  5. ↑ http://www.newslinemagazine.com/2010/05/messages-for-the-discerning/
  6. ↑ http://www.tmproject.ch/en/imran_channa_communique.htm
  7. ↑ Safdar, Anealla. "Reaching out to the real world: changing the image of Pakistan". The National. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  8. ↑ http://arthk.insidetradeshow.com/artworks/imran-channa-edge-of-an-adventure
  9. ↑ http://www.dawn.com/news/772285/lik-likoti-opens-at-canvas
  10. ↑ http://www.xvagallery.com/exhibitions/Imran_Channa.html
  11. ↑ http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2011/05/re-define-re-interpret-re-articulate-and-paint/
  12. ↑ http://www.dawn.com/2011/05/12/exhibition-of-modern-works.html
  13. ↑ http://www.thefridaytimes.com/25032011/page24.shtml
  14. ↑ http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011%5C02%5C26%5Cstory_26-2-2011_pg13_7
  15. ↑ http://www.amazon.co.uk/Painting-Persian-Book-Kings-Ancient/dp/0956746705
  16. ↑ http://www.artinasia.com/galleryDetail.php?catID=9999&galleryID=678&view=7&eventID=8443
  17. ↑ http://universes-in-universe.org/eng/nafas/articles/2011/the_rising_tide/img/07_imran_channa
  18. ↑ http://thisishowitshouldbe.blogspot.com/2010/11/article-1245-new-directions-in-art.html
  19. ↑ http://www.dawn.com/2010/11/07/art43-stemming-the-tide.html
  20. ↑ http://nigaahart.com/issue-11/emerging-review.asp
  21. ↑ http://www.tmproject.ch/en/imran_channa_communique.htm
  22. ↑ http://www.quartierdesbains.ch/presse/QdB_A2_0510_20.pdf

Further reading