Calligraphy, historically used for the means of preservation of Quranic text, is one of the most revered forms of Islamic art. Practiced in Pakistan for years, artistic geniuses like Sadequain brought the art form into the mainstream. Recently, a week-long calligraphy exhibition was held at the Rawalpindi Arts Council from November 28 to December 5, 2011, to mark the commencement of the month of Muharram while celebrating and remembering the Muslim heritage.
On display at the exhibition were 50 pieces from 10 renowned calligraphers — Aftab Ahmed Khan, Elahi Bux Matteh, …

My biggest gripe with fashion schools, year after year, graduation ceremony after graduation ceremony, has been their lack of emphasis on accessory design. It is a well known fact that it is the elaborately-constructed accessories — headgears and general paraphernalia — that adorn the nubile fashion graduates’ collections which stand out more than the ensembles themselves.
With Mahin Hussain winning the Lux Style Award for Best Emerging Talent this year, it should be a potent sign for aspiring designers to take this art more seriously. If Hussain isn’t inspiration enough, then …

Among the many themes to ponder at the Believer’s Paradise exhibition that has opened at Koel Gallery is the developing relation of the self to its surrounding, which in many cases can be a contemporary Hell.
For the show, curator Syed Faraz Ali brought together the works of three Thai artists: Panuwat Sitheechoke, Kriangkrai Konghanun and Arthit Amornchorn. But be prepared because Sitheechoke and Konghanun’s will be disturbingly familiar as they have dredged up the darkness of the human soul.
Delicately etched but faceless heads run throughout Sitheechoke’s frightening work that has …

She forayed into the world of art after having worked in the United Arab Emirates and the United States, before finally settling in Pakistan.
SAFAR, or journey, being exhibited at Comsats, is a montage of Nargis Khalid’s work through the ages.
The water colors, like the sensibility of Khalid’s oil paintings, are vibrant. She presents a fresh outlook on still life. The colors bleed at the right places, giving the simple still life some character.
“The times maybe troubling and harsh, but color is always soothing and hopeful, and that’s the reason I …

A photo exhibition marking the passage of a year since the 2010 floods was launched at Pakistan National of the Arts here on Thursday.
Titled “Reviving Communities Stronger Together”, the exhibition brought up the tragedy, that affected nearly 20 million people, killing over 2,000 and swiping out 1.7 million houses and 12,000 schools. A collection of 50 photographs of the wreckage and rehabilitation work were showcased in the exhibition.
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Communication Officer, Majda Shabbir told The Express Tribune,
“We took these photographs during …

Bringing a refreshing palette of colors and textures, “Summer Art Show” featuring a group of eight emerging and established artists opened at Nomad Art Gallery here on Thursday.
Oil landscapes on paper by Marium Haider, connoted to the subject of hope and positivity. The depiction of the full moon reveals the artist’s creative expression. For her first show, Haider’s work was rather appealing.
The two collections that really stood out were Sajida Hussain’s figurines in oil on canvas and Sehyr Ali Qayum’s pencil and pastels. Hussain’s work depicted vulnerable sensibility along with …

The historic Wazir Khan Mosque of Lahore has come to Islamabad in Kulsoom Aftab’s latest collection.
Being displayed at Nomad Art Gallery, the exhibition focuses on ethnic photography and naqashi on bottles.
“I think of every bottle as a beautiful decorated woman,” said Aftab, who graduated from National College of Arts in 1998, “some appear as dancing girls, while others look like the Mughal Mahranis.”
Her exhibition not only features beautiful photographs of the Wazir Khan Mosque, but also life-sized panels of naqashi, that she has produced with the help of women from …

Mussarrat Nahid Imam draws inspiration from rock paintings and carvings along the Karakoram Highway for her latest exhibition that opened to the public at Nomad Art Gallery on Tuesday.
This is her 17th seventeenth solo exhibition and she has dedicated it to the artists who made these ancient artworks.
“I’m worried Diamer-Basha dam’s construction will sink the works. They will be lost to us even though they are a vital part of our heritage. We need logistical support to preserve these rock paintings, which number in the thousands,” said Nahid.
Some of the …

While artist Abeer Asim was in the UK completing her Master’s degree, she saw her country depicted as a hub of disaster and destruction on the news. This was not how she remembered her home. So, a year after she returned to Pakistan she decided to launch an exhibit, titled ‘Pehchaan’, displaying the confusion involved with being a patriotic Pakistani. The exhibition launched at the ArtChowk Gallery on Thursday, May 19, it will be up till June 2.
In her opinion, she is trying to fuel a revolution. “Pehchaan is an …

The company of artists and inspiration of their work drove me to become a painter myself,” said Muhammad Junaid Balloch at his exhibition of 160 paintings held at the Rawalpindi Arts Council (RAC) on Monday.
The 57-year-old artist was first introduced to the art scene 35 years ago when he used to make frames for works of famous artists. He began painting in 1976 after being inspired by two brothers, artists Gulzar Chughtai and Abrar, and also by the famous painter, Ghulam Rasool. Balloch has never attended any formal institute to …