Thesis exhibit: Budding artists explore various mediums with novel ideas

Of the 50 graduates, four architecture, seven fine arts pupils gain distinctions

RAWALPINDI: Innovative ideas, interesting and unique mediums and fresh concepts seemed to be in the air as budding artists and visitors roamed around the galleries on final day of thesis exhibition for graduating class of 2015-16 of NCA Rawalpindi.

Of the 50 students that graduated this year, 26 majored in architecture and the rest in fine arts. Four architecture students gained distinctions with an excellent overall result and several students scoring honours, which is above 70 per cent score. Seven fine arts students gained distinctions with an overall percentage of over 80 per cent.

The thesis display featured various kinds of work from classic oil on canvas to mixed media, sculptures, printmaking and various other mediums explored by the fresh graduates.

Printmaker Areeba Khan’s work titled ‘Haunting Memories’ revolved around reminiscences and absence of her mother. Speaking to The Express Tribune she mentioned that she lost her mother two years ago and dedicated the thesis to her by representing her daily life. “I have tried to use printmaking to represent those spaces of my house where my mother would work and spend most of her time,” she said.

Irtaza Haider’s work, which focused on economic disparity in the country, seemed rather fascinating. His sculptures were interesting and used moulded coins, which is a very unique concept and resonated with his theme and concept. Haider said economic disparity affects him as much as it affects any common man. “My observation is very deep and I tend to notice disparity a lot more. I feel an artist should not just work on their own emotions but also try to understand the emotions of others and work on them,” he said.

Jasmine Michael, who showed an interesting hierarchy of shoes in her work, told The Express Tribune that she has always felt like shoes play an extremely important role in everyone’s personality. “However, I have always felt one spends entire day and work in daily wear shoes but formal ones take the limelight and are mostly appreciated. This also has a deeper meaning and goes for other things in life,” she said.

NCA Rawalpindi Director Nadeem Tarrar told The Express Tribune that overlapping with its decennial anniversary, the 10 record breaking distinctions in fine arts and architecture in the show strongly demonstrate that NCA Rawalpindi campus has come of age yet under the long shadow of old Oak tree of NCA Lahore. “It is high time that adequate representation be given to NCA Rawalpindi campus in board of governors,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 16^th, 2016.