It is not only the talent displayed, but the wealth of ideas, that made this international watercolour biennale such a treasure ‘Sad Old Man’ by Intigam Jafarov from Azerbaijan And the sadness associated with this treasure from the sea mirrors the sadness (though not the torment as in the case of Van Gogh) that often has its abode in the heart of the artist. In fact, the third eye of Buddha was said to be a pearl, and represented the highest essence of wisdom. The pearl, enclosed in an outer shell, is an obvious emblem of the soul and of purity. It also symbolises the mystic centre of the personality, from which artistic endeavours may be said to arise.
The biennale proved to be a pearl of great price: true to its title, it did in fact tacitly emphasise peace and serenity – in nature, in town and city, in daily life and in certain portraits…Ībove all, with regard to the pearl’s own nature, it was a fitting symbol with which to introduce these remarkable works. An international exhibition at Karachi’s Artscene Gallery, titled ‘First Watercolour Biennale 2016’, covered contemporary works from almost all continents and featured 189 watercolour works by artists from countries as diverse as Azerbaijan, China, Kazakhstan, Mauritius, Pakistan and so on, going as far as the USA.