The Seven Oceans/Haft Qulzum #3

About The Seven Oceans/Haft Qulzum #3

This mixed media contemporary abstract composition is rendered in earthy colours.

The dramatic and elegant artwork of Shireen Kamran is rooted in and inspired by her rich Pakistani heritage—reminiscent of ancient architectural forms. Kamran works intuitively, without preconceived ideas much like an ‘automatist’ whereby drawing is automatic allowing the subconscious to emerge. By using a mix of media in layers, by scraping and rubbing pigment, and acrylic paint her work is distinctively expressive, has great depth and is visibly textured. Lyrical brushstrokes in earth tones—golden browns combined with dark and soft grays and blues are punctuated by white and a dash of red. The title of this series refers to the seven seas of the world. The Persian word—Haft Qulzum literally means ‘seven seas’ and also perhaps refers to the 19th century Persian dictionary from India that had seven volumes and symbolized ‘the vast and deep ocean of knowledge’.

“I am influenced by the abstract expressionists, Rothko for his color field and emotional paintings, De Kooning for the highly energized gestural works and Guston's earlier works.” Shireen Kamran

“There is an elusiveness at the core of Shireen Kamran’s work. Deliciousness of surface, the materiality of color, intricacy of mark should serve to situate the work in the realm of the tangible. Yet one senses an intense desire in it to flee location, definition, interpretation.” Salima Hashmi, artist, educator, writer, curator

Shireen Kamran was born in Lahore, Pakistan in 1954. She received a BSc. degree from the University of Peshawar, Pakistan and a BFA from Concordia University, Montreal. Her work is held in private collections in Canada and abroad.

Read about Shireen Kamran’s identity of abstraction in the artist expressing herself via colour and formlessness, "A Silent Devotion" by Aasim Akhtar.