There is restlessness in the air and anticipation is for something new to arrive. A flicker of creativity produces a ripple effect in an otherwise Isloo's monotonous cultural scene. One only hopes that this flicker could transform forever into an 'enlightened moderation' for the people.

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My first stopover was to an exhibition of paintings by Tassaduq Sohail at Khaas Art Gallery. He is a contemporary artist who has displayed his work in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad over the years along with exhibiting his paintings abroad such as London, Holland and Sweden. His work is quite popular in Islamabad among the art connoisseurs.
Background on him is that he belongs to East Punjab and migrated to Lahore. After a brief interlude in Pakistan, he shifted to London in the 1960s.
He started his career as a fiction writer and later developed interest in art and finally gave up the profession of a writer and became a painter instead. His paintings are a reflection of a strange mixture of visions and ideas. In his paintings prominence is given to distorted figures and abnormal animals in grotesque environments and surroundings.
May be the paintings are a portrayal of his autobiography titled "A journey of his lonely travel' in which he recounts his fears, dismay and loneliness during his stay in London. The paintings are a sure depiction of the inner turmoil that the artist has experienced while facing the disappointments and the forlornness of life.
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The second visit was to the World Bank where there was a calligraphy exhibition titled "Art and Soul....." by UK based Pakistani artist, Ms Faiza Shaikh.She had put 20 exhibits on display and the sale proceeds were dedicated to the President's tsunami relief fund. Strong bold colours sharp contrasts and sense of power and modernity strikes you very strongly when you see Faiza Shaikh's work. Based in London Faiza has been painting for a while. However, her latest work.... calligraphy on silver and gold leaf... is extremely unusual and eye catching.
She explains her work in these words: "I attempt to take verses from the Qura'n to create an ambiance and bring the blessings of Allah for ourselves. In my small way I attempt to pass on the message of God so that it becomes part of our lives. As people see my paintings, it may spark a conversation, debate or perhaps just place where they cannot be ignored. The purity of the verses is written on a pure substance hence my use of pure silver leaf. In the same theme I pray that it reaches the purest of hearts.
We are all mindful of our modern interiors.... With this in mind my choice of colours and style is simple yet today to add to the ambiance and feel we want to create and enjoy in our lives. In every canvas there is harmony of content and colour. Each piece is created for the satisfaction of my own soul and with the hope that it will be special for others too."
The World Bank had arranged the exhibition; however, the scribe was surprised that the lights in the gallery were not put on for better viewing. And the paintings gave a forlorn appearance.
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The most interesting event was the presentation given by Claire Pamment titled, "The laughing shadow: Pakistani theatre". The presentation was an excellent comment on the Pakistani society in general. Professor Ishfaque Mirza giving a brief introduction said that the Claire Pamment has done her BA in Educational Studies and Drama from Cambridge University and then she did her Masters in Drama Writing and currently she is doing research in Pakistan and is assisted in her pursuits by Arts Council, England. She is an Artistic Director of capacity work showbiz interaction between UK and Pakistani based theatre. She is associated with my theatre companies/ associations and with the British Council.
Claire Pamment said that, "To open up the world of Pakistani theatre, if behind one curtain we find the weeping martyr, the other unveils the impresarios of Western glitz, pathos set against a coquettish smile. These apparently disconnected scenes conjure up the soft face of Pakistan. But amidst all this, lurks the laughing shadow, Pakistan's self created Frankenstein, the vulgar comedian.
Shedding light on the historical perspective she was of the view, "Cinemas have been demolished or converted into theatres to satiate the growing appetite for live entertainment or the rise of vulgarity has been warped out of long years of military dictatorship. Seen beyond these sociological and political interpretations, the Bulgarian becomes a profound metaphor of a repressed archetype. Could it be an incarnation of the Jungian shadow which gets mobilised when the masses submerge the individual, a revenge of the 'other'?"
She describes the commercial theatre as "exiled form the mainstream, the shadow presents itself as the comedian tugging at the social masquerade. Half man, half ass, a mercurial trickster who shifts form with a clever tongue and deft physicality. The comedian summons the marginal man: servants, cooks, prostitutes, thieves, and fakirs, and caricatures the powerful: politicians, policemen, feudal lords, multi national executives, and espousers of western culture." Commercial theatre "performs in the name of entertainment; here enlightened morality is replaced with mockery."
In contrast she expostulates that the "mushrooming of 'serious' theatre, which self -deceptively continues to herald as the 'parallel theatre' of Pakistan. During 1980s military rule, freedom of press was gagged, and a lid was put on creative and cultural _expression. Dissident voices were silenced under the monolithic fascism of Pakistan." However, "ironically, the then defiant rebellion is now the weeping prince, in the persona of NGOs, sending messages of human development, social conduct and hygiene." The multinationals and the NGOs propagate their own causes and products foisting a mass-culture mentality upon indigenous ethos creating Pepsi pop stars, actors costumed as Colgate tubes and a parade of sham theatrical performances such as "Dracule, Moulin Rouge, Phantom of the Opera and The Godfather."
She said that a "monolithic theatre culture, more effective than any army, is in the making. Under the diverse concepts of globalisation, national harmony or multi-national entrepreneuring appears a fraternity of moral custodians, torch-bearers to a singular utopia. The new buzz word is development. The supposed 'parallel theatre' provides instruction and guidance, promising global order and economic sustainability. It is further reinforced by the media that highlights serious theatre, but renders the commercial theatre absent." Authorities forever vigilant for obscenity and issuing threats of closure.
In conclusion she said that "this bi-polar divide of seriousness and entertainment suffocates theatre in inert boxes, a by-product of overt regulation by international funders and government officials. Theatre as an artistic form offers a middle world of interaction. 'Serious' theatre is efficacious; tied to a stable established order, often serving a purpose. Commercial theatre is entertainment; class orientation, show business, constantly adjusting to the tastes of fickle audiences. Stamping out the latter will only boomerang a more repellent Frankenstein. Peter Brook talks of the theatre as an empty space in which anything can happen. This void is the very genesis of art. When, like Apollo and Dionysius, our disparate partners meet in this void together, they will mutually exorcise each other. The laughing shadow must be embraced."
She said a theatre revolution in Pakistan will be possible only when the commercial and serious theatre meet and this can happen only by a genius.
The presentation was brilliant and one was spell bound by the apt use of irony and satire in the paper. It definitely showed the authors, depth of knowledge. It was thoroughly enjoyed by the scribe.
So another week ends with the anticipation of many more to come in an endless rig-ma-roll of surprises. So long until next week folks.