KARACHI: The English word `love` can have three variations in the Urdu language: pyar, muhabbat and ishq. Out of them, ishq is the one that holds a higher position; in the sense that when a writer or a poet wishes to talk about an intense attachment that transcends the boundaries of body and soul, he calls it ishq.

An exhibition of distinguished artist A S Rind`s paintings titled Bazm-i-Ishq that recently concluded at the Clifton Art Gallery is both a tribute to, and a celebration of, love.

The name of the show means a party or congregation where love is the focus of attention. But who`s taking part in the gathering? That`s the question, and its answer results in some fine artworks. Those who follow Rind`s art would know that there are some regular tropes in his creative output that he`s been using for many a year [birds, long-necked, big-eyed women and Urdu poetry.] There is a shared element in the three symbols: tenderness. What takes his paintings into a different domain is the use of relatively prominent, if not loud, colours that make the viewer think about how they`re related to the softness of his characters. This is counter-balanced by Urdu text.

The text given here is Urdu verses. Rind is an ardent fan of Faiz Ahmed Faiz`s poetry.

Therefore, his images usually accompany Faiz`s nazms or couplets on one side of the frame. In the exhibition, however, he has also tipped his hat to the likes of Ghalib in the classical category and Ahmed Faraz and Sahir in the group representing the 20th century.

For example, in one painting two verses from the well-known Ghalib ghazal Dil hi to hai na sang-o-khisht share the canvas with the profile of a woman having a dour face; and in another Faraz`s popular ghazal Suna hailoag usey aankh bhar ke dekhtey hain has a woman with a bird in her left hand facing the viewer.

These are tender images, something that`s required in the harshness of modern-day sociopolitical climate.