The burst of cultural events had me running from pillar to post, as I wanted to be a part of every occasion. The week started out with the humming of activity at the French Cultural Center and the occasion was the initiation ceremony of the painting exhibition by Mubashir Iqbal at the Alliance Gallery.
Backgrounder on Mubashir is that he is a budding artist from Haripur, a town in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan. However, he shifted residence to Islamabad in 1992. Explaining his childhood affiliation with art, he said that:. "He always was interested in art from an early age". Even though he started out with studying commerce at college but after coming to Islamabad, his passion for art got reawakened and he followed it up by doing a year's diploma in Fine Arts from Rawalpindi Arts Council. Previously, he has taken part in a few groups and has held one solo exhibition.
Xavier Lagorce, Director of the Alliance Franciase d' Islamabad welcomed the guests and introduced the young artist. The fête was arranged in the lawns of the Center and the weather was a little on the chilly side. The Russian Ambassador and his wife, who were present for the opening, very graciously acquiesced to inaugurate the exhibition. It was a well-attended gathering of people from all walks of life. Mubashir has worked on historical monuments and figures within Pakistan and abroad, which are a part of Pakistani cultural heritage. His paintings are a way of preserving the sites as he says: "There seems to be a lack of interest in the concerned offices for the restoration of these buildings and as I see it, it was up to me to paint them before they go to rack and ruin". His personal observation is that "The Sheikhupura Fort has fallen to ruins because of the lack of all these restoration amenities and now a guard has been placed there to warn people not to enter as it is dangerous. In my belief what is more dangerous for us as a community is to uphold our historical sites and protect them from all sorts of pollution, rather than let them slowly fall apart".
The exhibition is a good way of propagating about the exciting historical places of Pakistan, which can be formed into major tourist attractions. Moreover, these places are like the jewels in the crown of the sub-continent. It is commendable that a young artist like Mubashir has tried to preserve the rich Pakistani cultural heritage and pointed the apathy of the concerned officials. It is hoped that Pakistani government along with UNESCO will wake up and take appropriate measures so that these timeless treasures can be preserved for generations to come. The exhibits went like hot cakes after it was opened to the public and it is a must see for all the art connoisseurs.
I was very cordially invited by Ms.Nabila, the cultural coordinator of Alliance Franchise d' Islamabad to a concert by Abida Parveen.The event was a joint collaboration between French Cultural Center and the French Embassy and was sponsored by Reinforced Earth. It was my first exposure to Abida's live performance and I tell you it was superb. One went into a trance with her singing. The most pleasurable part was to see her sing with such passion and enjoy her involvement thoroughly.
****************Saturday evening started out with the launching of the Urdu version -Kalunk - of the book Taboo written by Fauzia Saeed and translated in Urdu by Fehmida Riaz.It was the first time I had covered a book launching ceremony. Initially I didn't buy the book from the stall set up by the Oxford University Press for this purpose but after listening to such splendid reviews by renowned artists, I changed my mind and eventually ended up buying the book. It was a star-studded event with the likes of Kishwar Naheed, Uzma Gillani, Indu Mitha and Ustaad Sadiq the maestro from Shahi Mohalla, speaking eloquently on the occasion. Everyone had a good word to say about the book.
The background on Fauzia Saeed is that she received her Doctorate from the University of Minnesota and has had a distinguished career working in Lok Virsa, the Agha Khan Foundation and the UNDP. She is also the founder of an NGO, Baidari that helps women victims of violence. She is currently the Country Representative of an international development agency -- Action Aid.
The book takes you on a journey of discovery into the famous red light district of Shahi Mohalla in Lahore. The author tells her story through the lives of people linked to the Shahi Mohalla.The book highlights the contribution that these people have made to the world of the performing arts in Pakistan. Pakistani society has shunned and placed a wall of silence in between the respected community and the under-world of prostitution. It is a subject whith a definite 'no' 'no' in our society. And our cultural ethos strongly forbid anyone from questioning the unmentionable. However, by exposing our false sense of piety and our cloistered outlook on prostitution, the book opens up a whole new arena of understanding the world's oldest profession with the intending hypocrisy displayed by the society at large.
****************Later the same evening I attended the preview of Shireen Kamran's works at the Rohtas Gallery. The collection is called 'Where's the heart?'- Ou` est le Coeur? - Her paintings are a spiritual search for an inner meaning. Talking to the artist showed her genuineness and candid conviction in Sufism. She had none of the airs or false pretenses about her. Speaking about her work she said that "it is a journey of finding myself between Montreal and Pakistan". Further explaining she said that she has specially exhibited her work in Pakistan because she belongs here and she wanted to share it with the people akin to her. Responding to a query asked by the scribe, she said that it has taken her five years to complete the exhibits.
Here is what she has to say about her work:
"My work draws on the Sufi Tradition, seeking to co temporize the mystical through form and function. My best moments are in the sheer act of the painting process itself. Marks, drawings and calligraphic elements appear unconsciously. Once the work is brought to completion, I go through a period of contemplation and meditation with the works, exploring, rationalizing and searching for encoded information.
In the words of Rumi:
" Why should I seek? I am the same as he. His essence speaks through me. I have been looking for myself!"
Structured on the format of landscapes, these paintings map out a journey that is both internal and external. The works in this exhibition are not so much about anything as spoken from within something- call it enlightenment, truth, spirit and soul.'
Meeting people from all hues at all these events make one realize the insignificance of oneself and knows that there is much more to this world where people are trying to reach out and get their message across.