ISLAMABAD: A group show of four painters will open at the Nomad Art Gallery on Wednesday and will include nearly two dozen paintings.

The show is titled `Rafaqaton keh aye khwab khushnuma hain magar` and all the paintings have been inspired either by poems or by real life experiences. The figures in the paintings are mostly female and the pieces are expressionistic and abstract.

One of the artists, Farrah Mahmood, is an associate professor at Comsats University and, in her works, deals with a range of social and political issues. Most of her works are about the abuse of power which, she says, is the root of an unjust and corrupt system.

`My recent works are about the situation in Pakistan and I am trying to make a statement, urging the nation to be strong and face the challenges of the war against terrorism,` she explained at the preview.

She said the message for the nation in the exhibition was `Paywasta reh shajjar sey umeed e bahar rakh` `The emphasis is on peace,` Ms Mahmood added.

Another artist whose works are displayed in the exhibition is Tayyaba Aziz who studied at the Central Institute of Arts and Crafts in Karachi and describes herself as a cubo-expressionist. She said her paintings were inspired by her favourite poet Parveen Shakir.

Anjum Ayub`s works show her life as a painter.

She has looked back at her life and has focused on how she sees the past differently, now that she has matured, is a mother and knows the importance of relationships.

Saying she was inspired by `happiness`, Ms Ayub explained: All that I paint and create are by products of my devotion to focusing on the wonderful bounty around me.

Those who had attended the preview said they had found the display interesting.

A visitor, Joe Hirsch, said he liked the abstract colours in Anjum Ayub`s paintings.

`It is almost like looking at a Picasso painting, he said.

Another visitor, Aase Panoliaskou, liked one particular painting of a woman`s back.

`I like how she wants to live her life as she wants with her back to the world,` she said.

Ms Panoliaskou said she had also enjoyed the works of miniature artist Samreen Asif, which portrayed the grandeur of thought and depicted women with eternal hope of freedom and liberty.

They were replete with dramatic colours and had a romantic quality about them.

`My works are inspired by Parveen Shakir`s poetry and my paintings reflect hope, emotion, distress, courage and inner strength. This is an attempt to highlight Ms Shal
The show will continue till March 6.