The art of drawing

In the words of Giorgio Vasari, drawing is the father of three other arts; architecture, sculpture and painting. We can trace drawing back to its appearance as cave paintings, and in modern times, graffiti and basic doodling indicate the urge to draw is alive and kicking.

As people continue to lay more focus on the final product, drawing, the root of all art, seems to have taken a back seat. What we as art critics and enthusiasts have forgotten is the importance of drawing — creating a notion that only a painting can be hung on a wall, and a drawing must be designated to the drawer. We fail to remember that, in the West, the drawings of giants such as Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci are given as much weight as their paintings.

Taking a cue from revered artists around the globe, Khaas Art in association with Aasim Akhtar has taken the initiative to compile portfolio of the drawings of well-known artists. For the first time in Pakistan, notable artists have been asked to compile their drawings in one place. Salima Hashmi, RM Naeem, Tariq Gill, Waseem Ahmed, Anwar Saeed, Nahid Raza, Mehr Afroze, Aasim Akhtar, Naiza Khan, Farrukh Shahab, Moeen Farruqi and Adeel-uz-Zafar will, for the first time, retrace the roots of art and collect an anthology of drawings.

Talking exclusively with The Express Tribune Magazine, Aasim Akhtar, who is also to be featured in the portfolio, speaks about the significance of drawing and the unique nature of this particular venture.

“Never in the history of Pakistan has there been a compilation made of original drawings,” he says. “In a very arbitrary way, the portfolio briefly divides artists by generation. But they are all active practitioners of art and original draughtsman.” Even though the artists have different historical realities they have shared sensibilities; visual and conceptual.

This particular portfolio cherishes the artists’ differences, conflicts and reversals. It is this diversity of vision and approach that makes this collection unique. The artists have not been bound to either theme or medium. With full flexibility with regard to what the artist might want to produce, the collective sees a collage by Salima Hashmi, drawn washes by Nahid Raza, a self portrait in graphite by Farrukh Shahab and a beautiful piece by Aasim Akhtar in lead pencil. “For the last 25 years I have been struggling with the space between drawing and painting,” says Salima Hashmi. “I like the structure to be exposed and be a part of the finished piece.”

Adeel-uz-Zafar’s unique technique of layering his surface with vinyl coating and helping the image emerge through the surface through scratch marks is inimitable and adds to the uniqueness and exclusivity of the portfolio. “The way I work has a linear quality to it and so it makes sense that I am involved in this project,” says Zafar.

An initiative taken by the late Usman Ghauri to compile a portfolio of screen prints in Karachi under the name ‘Different Drummer’ was the inspirational step that drove Pakistan’s artists to collect other such pieces. With Laila Rehman following lead at NCA in Lahore, Usman Ghauri came out with another portfolio, Out of the Box, before passing away. With a total of four portfolios dedicated to printmaking existing in Pakistan, the fifth portfolio is a huge contribution.

Paul Klee once said, “Drawing is a dot taken on a long walk.” As Khaas Art and Aasim Akhtar join this walk, the original
portfolio rests in the Santorine-esque Khaas Art Gallery in Islamabad and will soon be auctioned off and the proceeds from the auction will be donated to the upcoming LRBT Benefit Night in Islamabad.

Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, May 1^st, 2011