ISLAMABAD: Cherishing the Christmas spirit, a two-day arts and crafts concluded at My Art World gallery on Saturday.
Showcasing a wide selection of contemporary works by more than 20 artists, the exhibition introduces some emerging artists and pays homage to several established ones. From printmaking to digital art, pen-and-ink sketches to mixed media miniature and sculpture as well as oil and acrylic, the paintings have a little bit of everything.
Zara Sajid, the gallery curator, said the art pieces were placed at affordable prices where potential buyers could walk in and take their purchases with them. Supposed to start by noon, the fair had people trickling in an hour earlier.
“The thing with most of these young artists is that they’ve kept their artworks very affordable in ways of helping them out. At this point your aim shouldn’t be to make money, it’s to get your work noticed,” said Sajid. About 60 per cent of the artworks are between Rs10,000 and Rs20,000.
In her latest portfolio, Mahjabeen Atif has unleashed more contemporary calligraphy pieces, employing a more experimental approach when it comes to colour palette and design perspective.
Sara Rajpar, who is probably the youngest of the exhibiting artists, is in her A Levels. Her blue and turquoise portrait of a woman stands out in a room full of paintings.
Nayha Jehangir Khan has exhibited some digital art pieces from her portrait series in which she has also added a vintage black and white portrait poster of American author and poet Edgar Allen Poe.
With their bright, expressive eyes and exaggerated pouts, the feminine figures in Muniba Mazari’s paintings are nuanced in their expression and flaunt chic hairdos, swathed in a sheath of flowers or surrounded by birds.
Nuria Rafique-Iqbal who spearheads “Labor of Love” --- an enterprise of hand-embroidered accessories and clothing --- has been supporting women artisans in Lahore, Sheikhupura and Muridke by selling goods prepared by them. “The income generated goes directly to our organisation,” she said.
Her stall also features pop art cushions inspired by paintings of the Dubai-based contemporary artist Faiza Shaikh. The quirky designs include a coronation Queen Elizabeth with a funky neon backdrop as well as popular culture icons such as Archie Comics characters and graffiti in Urdu script, Charlie Chaplin, Al Pacino and Mickey Mouse.
From sequined purses styled with the Pakistani flag on them to hand-embroidered crochet wallets, there is ample of variety to browse through in the collection.
“Many times someone wants to buy art and they cannot afford it so this is a nice display with some out-of-the-box pieces,” said Saba, a visitor at the bazaar.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 7th, 2014.
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