Pakistan’s first Travelling International Biennale welcomed

Paintings from Hong Kong and Nepal popular among buyers at Art Scene Gallery

KARACHI: Decked from the ground to the first floor with striking watercolour works from around the world, the Art Scene Gallery opened Pakistan’s first-ever Travelling International Water Biennale 2016, ‘Pearls of Peace’, on Wednesday.

With participation from as many as 39 countries, the exhibition included the works of 195 artists, who drew 270 art pieces.

“It’s wow! Really delighted to be here,” exclaimed art critic Marjorie Husain, as she moved ahead, scribbling the names of exhibited paintings.



“We [the gallery] have structured an international show. Previously, a massive show of this kind was held in Mehran University of Engineering and Technology in Jamshoro on March 28 this year, where water colour artists exhibited their work,” Art Scene Gallery CEO Amjad Saeed told The Express Tribune, adding that the show was organised in the city, instead of Hyderabad, to be accessible to most art lovers.

From dockyards to landscapes, to portraits of old and young, to stills in the form of flowers and fruits, the watercolours depicted extremely refined work.



“Globally, Pakistan has a negative image, in terms of terrorism, so the title gives a message of peace via art to others across the world,” asserted Saeed.

“In 2003, the International Watercolours Society (IWS) was globally established. To date, with 65 country heads worldwide, 20 such biennales have been conducted across the world,” informed Karachi chapter IWS head Syed Ali Abbas, who was also curating the show.

The collections from Russia, Italy, Spain and Serbia were a delight for the artistic community to see, said Abbas, adding that works from Peru, Brazil, France and Ukraine were also appreciated by the masses. However, works from Hong Kong, Nepal and Thailand sold the most among Pakistani buyers.

IWS’s slogan is ‘Peace and Love’, serving as the ideology behind the growth of the ‘Pearls of Peace’ project, shared Abbas



“Watercolour technique isn’t appreciated much since it is done on paper and has a simple technique,” Abbas said, adding that it is a shame because this art form, too, should be valued.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 13^th, 2016.