Annual exhibition: Thesis on contrasting lifestyles in City goes on display

Exhibition features work of six graduates, students and faculty at Naqsh School of Arts

LAHORE: An exhibition featuring theses of the Naqsh School of Arts graduating batch of six students kicked off at Alhamra on The Mall on Monday.

Around 300 pieces displayed at the exhibition also included work by some students and faculty members.

Ruhma Khan said her thesis, titled Culture, was on changing nature of cultures. She said that in her work she had tried to highlight both negative and positive aspects of modernisation.

Tayyaba Bilal said she had traced her journey of self growth and discovery in her thesis, Me and Myself. “When I joined the school, I was a reserved person. This was reflected in my paintings done with water colours. I had used dark and somber colours in those paintings,” she said. “With time, I started using more vibrant shades,” she said.

Adil Akram said that for his thesis work he had sought inspiration from his surroundings.

Zubair Baig said he had tried to show differences between life in the Walled City and in the suburbs. “People in my neighbourhood in the Walled City are used to waking up late in the morning. Markets here remain open till after midnight,” he said. He said in suburbs people were used to waking up and getting to work early in the morning.



Muqaddas Hussain said her thesis was an attempt to express the grief she had felt at her father’s death and the dilemma she went through afterwards. “My work portrays the contrasting feelings I had at that time in my life. I had to put up appearances and hide my grief when in public,” she said.

Hussain said that in her work she had used the motif of the life cycle of a tree branch which sheds leaves and grows others in their place.

Muhammad Riaz’s thesis, Save Heritage, highlighted the neglect of heritage in the country.

Works displayed at the exhibition included miniature paintings, calligraphy, paintings and drawings, ceramics and sculpture.

The Naqsh School of Arts was established in 2003 by the Babar Ali Foundation (BAF). It is located in Mubarak Haveli in Bazar-i-Hakeeman, Bhati Gate.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 6^th, 2016.