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Art Industry in Pakistan..

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Revisiting the mistress of art
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Dancing girl,

It seems quite fruitless to discuss art in these dark and difficult days for the nation when art feels pointless and dispensable. However, it would be even more of a tragedy if artists stopped doing what they do.

Art rises above brutality and in a place like Pakistan, it is not only important, but also crucial for art to be discussed and artists to have their expressions heard over and beyond the loud and destructive voices, that are bent at annihilating anything that is flourishing in the country.

Artists are sensitive to their surroundings and pose questions and address debates through their works. They can be visionaries that lead us to new ways of thinking. Indeed, the country has a strong history of artists that have given us multifaceted views. Their art needs to be analysed in ways that can somehow frame the past for us to be able to make sense of the present.

On the 20th anniversary of her death, the Unicorn Gallery, Karachi, provided such a platform by organising a retrospective of the work of Laila Shahzada. She is part of the generation of well-known artists in Pakistan — including Gulgee — who were active in the ’60s, ’70s, and later made abstract and semi-abstract paintings in styles familiar in Europe and the United States.

Laila Shahzada’s style is surreal in which subconscious imagery rises to the surface

Although the exhibition lacks a critical text that can help situate the artist’s work, it nonetheless provides a unique opportunity to view paintings that are otherwise found in multiple private and public collections. Bringing them together, one can attempt to understand a lifetime of work at the exhibition which opens up an insight into the breadth of her art.

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Buddha

Her semi-abstract paintings that magnify the artist’s inner thoughts are familiar to many audiences in Pakistan and abroad. These works sometimes reveal the body, but never in a direct way. The human physique transforms before the viewer’s eyes. The layering of paint suggests flesh. A mountainous landscape becomes a body. Her style is surreal in which subconscious imagery rises to the surface. These kind of pictures reveal the influence of European painters like Salvador Dali who created dreamlike landscapes in which one image shifts into another.

In many of Shahzada’s paintings, there is the presence of an inner glow that shines beyond the exterior boundaries of bodies, landscapes, and objects. It is as if the inner core of these forms is trying to burst free as the artist lays them on to the canvas. The lustrous quality of her paintings shares a sensibility with the work of American artist Georgia O’Keefe who expressed her inner self through paintings of flowers and other natural forms. O’Keefe’s work had a similar radiance as Shahzada’s inner landscapes.

This looking-glass view into the artist’s mind and life might not offer us a clear understanding of what was going on in her thoughts but it does provide audiences with space to create their own stories and interpretations. And, this is the freedom that artists offer to the world when they make subtle and nuanced art that permits viewers to develop an understanding and relate what they see to their own experiences. It is a room for dialogue and debate that is so critical to a life of analysis and thoughts — in other words, to a life worth living.
Revisiting the mistress of art - Newspaper - DAWN.COM
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With its culturally rich and energetic art scene, Pakistani art is now accepted and regarded as creative and highly animated all around the world, where ever art is appreciated and known with its expatriation. There are a lot of art galleries in the major cities of Pakistan displaying the works of internationally famous Pakistani artists as well as the budding lot of Pakistani artists. Here is a list of some of the famous art galleries in Pakistan where one can have a piece of real Pakistani art on display and for sale.
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Lahore_museum.. Lahore Museum Art Gallery

The Art gallery lies straight down the corridor from the main entrance to the Lahore Museum. Past the wooden screen lies the Miniature Paintings Gallery, where rare exhibits are displayed on either side. Before you get absorbed in the details of the miniatures, take a look at the mural on the ceiling painted by Sadequain. The miniature paintings have been arranged in chronological order of development, beginning with illustrations from a 16th century Jaina Kalpa Sutra and some rare illustrations of Laur and Chanda romance. Persian, Mughal, Provincial and Bazaar Mughal paintings and works of minor ateliers of Rajput states in Rajasthan are also part of the collection. The gallery also holds exhibitions regularly.

Sim-Sim Art Gallery - Lahore

A standing little emblem of art near the famous Orega center in Lahore, Sim Sim art gallery is not just for exhibitions but basically an art on sale outlet. The interior is well defined and carries an ambiance of creativity and modernity. Displaying the works of the contemporary artists in Pakistan, Sim-Sim art gallery is helping promote the talented artists of Pakistan who believe in self expression and catharsis.

Shakir Ali Musesum & Art Gallery - Lahore

A true piece of art; Dwelling on the residence plot of the pioneer of modern art in Pakistan, Shakir Ali, the museum is a wonderful and awesome architectural phenomenon of the artist;s creativity. This great artist was born in India, received his basic education in India, and studied arts from the JJ school of arts Bombay. Then his trip to England for further studies brought a major turn in his life, where he learns classical paintings and textile designing, two contradictory fields of art. Shakir Ali museum was the artist;s personal lodging, which took ten years for construction but unfortunately ten months after the completion of the house the artist died. The place has an amazing architectural beauty and wonderfully designed rooms, the ambiance here reminds you of a never-ending passion for creativity. It is still warm with the colors that stroked the canvas with life, and things still speaking of the life of the great artist of Pakistan.

Crow eaters Gallery- Lahore


LHR-Crow-eatersglry Named after the entropy of Sub-Continental harmony, a semi autobiographical novel by Bapsi Sidhwa, Crow Eaters is a pulsating fascination of aesthetics and modernity. The Gallery is located at the lower end of The Mall, the vibrant region of Lahore opposite Anarkali Bazaar lending a touch of the cultural and social dithyrambs. Exhibiting works, of the creative mentors of Art as well as young artisan;s hankerings, it provides communion between the artistic expressions and the people. The gallery is rather small, and a narrow staircase leads to the top floor the altar of crafts-man-ship. The work on display engulfs the genuine traditional and modern concepts of Art in Pakistan, irrefutably awesome in its displays of varying mediums of art.
93-Tipo Block, New Garden Town Lahore, Pakistan

Co-opera Book Shop & Art Gallery - Lahore

At the heart of Lahore, on The Mall (Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam), near the well known Regal Stop, The Co-opera Book Shop & Art Gallery harbors a trove of art in the basement. Encouraging new talents and established artists, the Gallery exhibits works by artists from all over Pakistan, irrespective of the school, whether it be modern abstract and impressionism, or classic realism and miniatures. There is room for all forms and mediums of art. Almost all the works on display are for sale, except for some permanent exhibits of the Gallery. The gallery is divided artistically into three sections, the entrance being dedicated to books and literature. A long gallery with lively watercolor paintings and calligraphy precedes the main display area. In the main room, exhibits include oil paintings, woodcarvings, prints, and the awesome display of the art of sculpture and carving. One room is solely dedicated to miniature art, defining various eras of Mughal art. Supporting all the literary and artistic activities in Pakistan, the gallery usually holds exhibitions twice a month.

Farrer-hall-karachi ... Gallerie Sadequain- Karachi

Gallerie Sadequain Karachi This gallery is located within the historic building of Frere Hall, on Fatima Jinnah Road, in the Sadar area of Karachi. The art gallery is on the first floor of the Frere Hall. The ceiling of the art gallery was painted by Sadequain, one of the most well-known painters of Pakistan.

The enormous mural is an impressive work of art in Sadequain style. The art gallery regularly puts up amateur exhibitions in order to promote arts in the city. Frere Hall, Fatima Jinnah Road

Art Gallery- Karachi

Presenting art, in the Dhoraji Colony; Rangoonwala Community Center, is the V.M. Art Gallery. Established in 1987, it is a project of ZVM Rangoonwala Trust, a renowned business house that has made laudable effort in the field of art and culture. The gallery was established with the objective of promoting advancement in art education and encouraging the fine arts. It serves as an outlet for senior and amateur artists; an important display venue for the young and for the established. The art gallery has its own permanent collection, titled - Rangoonwala Art Collection. Apart from arranging exhibitions the art house also arranges slide presentations.

Art Collectors Gallery - Karachi

This gallery is located on Khyaban-e-Roomi, in Old Clifton, close to the Chawkandi Art gallery and the famed Zamzama boulevard of Karachi. The gallery is managed by Ali Imam and periodically exhibits works of established and young artists of Pakistan.

D-68, Block 7, Khyaban-e-Roomi, Clifton
Karachi, Pakistan

The Indus Gallery - Karachi

The Indus Gallery is one of the oldest and the longest running art gallery in Karachi. It was established by Ali Imam, one of the most well known painters of Pakistan. The gallery takes its name from the river system that runs through Pakistan. Along its banks flourished the world oldest advanced civic culture 8000 years ago known as the Indus Valley Civilization. Carrying the tradition forth, the Indus Art Gallery promotes the arts and crafts that have flourished here, over the centuries. It has played a pivotal role in popularizing art; the viewing and purchasing of works in Pakistan. For an unknown artist, an exhibition at the Indus Gallery means instant recognition. Established visiting artists from other parts of the world have also chosen this venue to display their work.
A/1 Street 1, Bath Island

The National Art Gallery- Islamabad


The entrance to the Art Gallery is at the rear of the house. The Gallery has an entrance hall and two main halls on the ground floor with two more exhibition halls on the upper floor. A concealed stairway separates the two halls on the ground floor; one of these halls has Sadequains artwork on display, while the others can be hired for organizing art exhibitions. In case you are keen on specifically seeing Sadequain work, it would be advisable to check with the Gallery in-charge and confirm.

Resource: : www.heritage.com.pk
 
Young artists...................
encouraging

Young artists express challenges of being a woman


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Three women artists depict difficulties of being a woman.

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ISLAMABAD: An art exhibition showcasing miniatures, prints and paintings opened at Nomad Art Gallery on Saturday.

Titled “Safar”, the exhibition chronicles the artistic journeys of three young artists — Samreen Asif, Moina Malik and Manizha Janbaz — at an enclosed space “Shanaakht” that takes its name from the in-house Shanakht Trust and revolves around identity. The new space has been created to highlight the art of emerging artists.

“The show is a delightful mix of artworks and will evoke a strong response from art lovers,” said Nageen Hyat, the gallery curator.

Malik’s canvases portray deeply personal emotions and life experiences, intertwining the joys and sorrows of life. Using the same plate to create two prints, “Vistas of life”, she depicts various stages of her life in a poignant manner.

Her series entitled “Women in doldrums” explores the challenges that come with being a woman. She has related the life of a woman to that of a honey bee. “Pakistani women are living a life of continuous struggle and sacrifice. They share the destiny of the Queen Bee and face perils to save their hives and homes and ultimately die,” she said.

She has also addressed the impact of drug use among youth, using strong symbols of humans entangled in a maze of cobwebs, decaying into hollow skeletons.

Janbaz, who has been working at the gallery for about six years, has been exposed to a plethora of arts and techniques in that time. Her new collection of mixed media, “Untold narratives”, revolves around the lives of women in her land of origin, Afghanistan.

“I’ve tried to show the conflict situations that women face over there. They are forced to wear burqas and when I put myself in their shoes, I can imagine that it is a really difficult life to live,” said the artist, who has used the symbol of bottles to represent burqas. Other symbols that occur in her paintings are more literal and direct, such as chains, rolled up papers and bricks.

The paintings represent an ambivalence of sacrifice and success in a sharp contrast of fluorescent hues offset by dark charcoal contours. Her work is bold as she reminisces of “the daunting past” and specter of the forces that surround “the wide streets of the beautiful valley of Kabul.”

Meanwhile, Asif has taken an atypical approach to miniature, presenting her pieces in the style of contemporary painting. She draws inspiration from and portrays elements of the Kangra, Pahari, Persian, Chinese and Japanese schools of thought. She experiments with styles to break out of traditional art practices.

Her artworks depict women with hope and liberty, replete with dramatic hues in a romantic atmosphere. “I have taken some challenges to beautify my subjects with a modern touch. Moonlight, white swans and lotus flowers add a surreal dimension with the figurative form to create the mood,” she said. She has used herbal and water colours on traditional wasli — a handmade sheet of miniature.

The exhibition will continue till January 31.

Published in The Express Tribune

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Art Exhibition in Quetta.
A young artist in Quetta exhibits his paintings depicting traditional nomadic scenes of Pakistan

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AN EXHIBITION OF EXPRESSIONIST ART BY VARIOUS ARTISTS AT THE MAINFRAME GALLERY, KARACHI

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