Professor Azra Minhas wife of late Aslam Minhas, the founder of Fine Arts Department at Government College University, Lahore inaugurated Dr Aijaz Anwar's exhibition of sixteen paintings, 24 prints and three books, which depicted life in old walled city of Lahore especially those of women.
A large number of well known painters, art lovers and art students attended the inauguration ceremony, which was held at GCU's Minhas Art Gallery on October 30. The facility with his medium and material which was so much in evidence in Dr Aijaz Anwar's paintings.
Now the director of Zahoorul Akhlaq auditorium at National College of Arts, Lahore Dr Aijaz Anwar was one of the students of late Professor Aslam Minhas, whom he paid glowing tributes while speaking about his own art work at the inauguration of the exhibition.
Professor Khalid Aftab, Vice Chancellor, GCU University, who was the Chief Guest on the occasion, praised the work of Dr Anwar by noting that his paintings depicted the history of the past in pictorial form and reflected socio-cultural realities of a gone-by era. He disclosed that two paintings of late Aftab Minhas had already been taken by the National Art Gallery.
The exhibition was organised to mark the anniversary of Minhas Art Gallery set up on October 30, 2006. Speaking on the occasion painter Aijaz Anwar disclosed that he was first student of Professor Minhas, whom the late teacher took around the city through Lohari Gate to teach him how to observe and select the surroundings, compose and design his paintings.
The flow of brush, multiple layers of paint and sensitive strokes in water colours denoted a world that is a deep sensation, personal and gorgeous at the same time. The ease and fluency in portraying architecture of the old city, scenarios of mohalla culture and figures and nforms are complemented with the complexity of the visuals, which reveal a narrative that keeps on unfolding its meaning and continues to fascinate the viewers.
****************Over 20 students from different schools participated in competition at the Japan Children Art and Speech Contest at Alhamra Art Center on November 1. The title of the competition, which was jointly sponsored by Lahore Arts Council, Pakistan-Japan Cultural Association, MEXT Alumni Association and the Japanese Embassy in Islamabad, was 'How I visualise Japan on Canvas'. The winners were given prizes. Students between the age group of 12 to 14 participated in both the competitions. According to the organisers the event was aimed at appraising children about friendly relationship between Japan and Pakistan. The Third Secretary from Japanese Embassy expressed his satisfaction at the quality of talent displayed at the competitions.
****************The inaugural ceremony of the week long international calligraphic exhibition was held at the Lahore Arts Council on November 4, in which 200 art pieces produced by about 150 art students and artists of national and international renown were put on display for public viewing. A majority of calligraphers whose works were included in the exhibition were the students renowned calligrapher Ustad Khursheed Alam Gohar Qalam.
Revisiting 1857 was the theme of a three-day long programme, which opened at the Lahore Arts with the speech of historian Dr Mubarak Ali focusing on the special events of 1857. Several social, music-promoting and cultural organisations participated in the joint observance of the 1857 struggle for freedom from the British colonial rule.
One of the participants in the events, All Pakistan Music Conference sponsored a music concert in which Karachi-based Ustad Naseeruddin Sami, a scion of Delhi Gharana of musicians demonstrated his melodic prowess. His brief but mellifluous renditions of several ragas cast hypnotic spells on the knowledgeable audiences from Lahore. Sara Raza and Muhammad Naeem Abbas rendered ghazals of Bahadhur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal Emperor at Delhi and poet Mirza Ghalib, which fell sweet on the ears of the listeners. The monthly concert of APMC was dedicated to 'Revisiting 1857".
****************Professor Moneef Ben Abdeljeil was the guest speaker at a seminar entitled "Muslim cultures and civilisation", which was jointly sponsored by the Department of History, University of the Punjab and Pakistan Study Center in Lahore November 1. The consensus at the seminar was that since Muslim heritage was a part of the world culture, there was a need to study and discuss contemporary issues vis-à-vis international politics and to suggest ways out of all disputes facing the Muslim world.