The street painting culture has its own significance and popularity among the masses here but as the years gone by this practice gain momentum and acceptance in the society. The street artists with no formal education produce such an attractive and thought provoking art that the viewer couldn't imagine about the social standing of the painter.
The painting of various birds, animals, sceneries and film artists at the back of trucks, rickshaws and buses has now became a part of our culture and this culture has been developed during the past fifty years. Under the title 'Street Credo' Canvas Gallery, Karachi displayed the artworks of two artists Mohan Das and Zahra Malkani, who portrayed this street culture very effectively through their paintings.
Mohan Das after acquiring Masters Degree in Fine Art from University of Sindh find himself more attracted to street art. As a boy he was associated with the cinema artists and therefore relates himself to such artists who make this art popular and bring variation in it.
Mohan portrays the rickshaw art which dates back to 1959 when rickshaw was introduced in Karachi. He said, "In rickshaw art, painting the 'V' shaped area of the rickshaw, is definitely not something new to me or to the culture we live in, but I began producing such art altered and relevant to my life , such that the art include it's own stories beyond them , 'my' stories".
When the rickshaws were sent for the very first time for Pakistan from Italy they were yellow, ocher or grey. Humayun was the very first artist who uses spray paints. He was the pioneer of the rickshaw art along with other rickshaw artists. They all added life to the rickshaws by using colours and introduced the V shaped window on the back. This V shaped window was first used only to write label with either taxi in the centre, "20 mph" on the left side and "stop" on the top .The window was plain and not decorated any further then a few flowers below it.
"Lateef's art struck me and I followed him he was the founder of peacock. He was basically the pioneer of rickshaw art on the V shape window". Mohan's paintings show V shape window painted with movie stars of the 70's, either from Bollywood or Hollywood, various types of birds and flowers and poetry quotes.
The people who work in this field not only works they also live in this art. From dawn till late night these moving art vehicles especially in a town or city, gives a particular look to the area they are moving in, giving it a lively look. Through their art they are spreading knowledge publicly about certain issues and one can smile while reading the jokes written beneath these paintings thus proving healthy for the society. Mohan's painterly approach to colours and surface gives a fresh look to his paintings he paints every aspect of life a street painter go through his ups and downs and happy and sad days. Mohan with the same zeal and ambition paints the same colourful back of rickshaws. He lives a full life with these artists and he heartily admired them through his artworks.
Zahra Malkani has keen observation and therefore the popular street art caught her eye. She is amazed with the significant elements of this art and tried her hand on it in her own way. A major in studio Art from Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY Zahra tried to enhance the significance of this culture in establishing societal structures. Widely found and used in our modern urban environment and admired in our culture, especially among young people this art has now taken a form of serious career among youngsters. This unique side of street art appeals Zahra also and she practice it herself besides admiring it.
She also portrays the other human issue such as displacement, extremism, and in humane conditions in some of her works. Depicting various positions of women in a society she captures typical female imagery in masterly skilled small canvases and brings various stages of women's life. She portrays certain behavioural changes, emotional and sentimental picture of some representative female figures, her confrontation with society and changes in behaviour due to unequal socio-economic status as her main concern. Her paintings show that the soft and very ambitious character of women is totally destroyed and the very dilemma of eastern society is based upon gender biased customary values which are only nurturing submissive, repressive women of shattered soul. She shows these elements in layers and put them subsequently like this to create an environment which conveys her expression to the viewers.
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