By Dr. Arjumand Faisel

Akram Spaul’s inaugural exhibition in 1989 marked the genesis of a prolific artistic journey. Over the last three and a half decades, he has been exploring themes of life and daily routine with truthful and accurate depiction that life has offered to him. Mundane activities, the ordinary and unadorned, metamorphose into worthy subjects under his discerning gaze. Primarily focused on the milieu of the middle and lower classes, Spaul’s canvases exalt the beauty often overlooked in the mundane, accentuating the allure of everyday physical settings and material conditions.

His intense attention to accuracy of detail and mastery of color instil his works with depth, particularly evident through the vibrant apposition of bright hues against pristine backgrounds. In Spaul’s paintings, there is emphasis on the optical effects of light exhibiting his technical expertise of realistic painting. His skillful manipulation of light and shadow often makes the paintings photorealistic.

In many works, the addition of dynamic shadows infuses his compositions with a palpable sense of motion, animating the canvas with vitality. For instance, in one painting, the shadow of a woman engaged in the act of hanging clothes against the backdrop of sunlit garments on a clothesline creates the impression as if they have been hung a minute before.

Similarly, in another painting, the interplay of shadow and light cast by a hand holding a teapot amidst a table adorned with food items evokes the sensation of imminent activity. It creates the feeling as someone is taking the breakfast and the scene is unfolding before our eyes.

Another painting features an empty chair with a shadow of a man reading a book. One can’t help but sense the lingering essence of a person who has momentarily vacated the scene and it gives the feel as if he will return soon to resume his engagement with the book.

Another distinguished and extraordinary ability of Spaul is to evoke the presence of human subjects even in their absence. For example, in a composition, garments suspended beneath a balcony evoke the impression of recent human activity—either someone has recently hung the clothes or is on the verge of returning to retrieve them. This remarkable ability to convey the presence of an individual within the painting, despite the absence of any overt figure, is truly remarkable, stretching the bounds of believability to an extraordinary degree.

Hence, Spaul’s paintings exude a curious aura that suggests the human presence, regardless of the presence of a tangible figure. This attribute makes them unique and creates the intriguing movements in silence. More philosophically, they invite the viewers to ponder the intricacies of human experience and the transient nature of existence.