In living colour: Of freedom, time and the mysteries of life — a thesis art show

Third-year Arts Council students showcase thesis projects

KARACHI: As many as 12 students of fine arts and textile design presented their third-year thesis projects at the Ahmed Pervaiz Gallery in the Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi, between January 28 and January 31. All the students were enrolled in a four-year diploma programme at the Arts Council of Pakistan.

Roma Rushtakhiza, a student of fine arts chose freedom as the topic for her thesis.  She says that nothing is more important in this life than the freedom of mind. However, people, especially the youth, don't use this freedom positively. "The idea behind my work is to avoid misusing this freedom," Rushtakhiza told The Express Tribune, adding that parents send their children to study at colleges and universities, but the children abuse this freedom and get involved in drugs and other such activities.



Another student, Mahnoor Khan's thesis project was titled, 'Mystery of Life'. Through her work, Khan has tried to portray her understanding of life - how it began and how plant and animal cells came into being. "I have tried to showcase the struggle of the living cells and the many phases it has to go through," she explained.

Another student of fine arts, Syed Sadia Bano, who worked on 'Beauty and Surprise of Unseen' said that nature had always fascinated her. "Nature can bring a lot of beauty into our lives. It has a way of affecting our mood, forcing us to change our plans." For Bano, acquiring knowledge is essential to appreciate nature. "It can have a positive effect on our lives; in the way we look at things and in the way we feel about ourselves," she said.

Shaheena Naz, who worked on the subject of 'Time', said that according to science, time and space are connected in a way that they cannot be separated. "I have tried to express this correlation through my work. Some people have the capability to manage their time and utilise it in a proper way, while others don't know how to use time in a way that is beneficial and fruitful," she said.

On the other end of the spectrum, textile student Carolin Sarfraz's project was on graffiti art which is also called street art. She says it is one of the most radical contemporary art movements.



Speaking to The Express Tribune, Munir Shah, who teaches at the Arts Council and also supervised the work of some of the students, said that we need to encourage students to come up with out-of-the-box ideas. "We try to push our students to avoid choosing topics that may pose legal or moral dilemmas," he said. "Some students are good at expressing their thought process clearly while others are not, but we are here to help them grow," he said.

Another teacher, Obaid Syed, explained that he encourages students to brainstorm ideas and then work on topics that haven't been covered yet. "I tell my students to do what your hearts tells you to do." Syed also discourages students from choosing political or religious subjects as there is a lot more you can show the world through your art. 

Published in The Express Tribune, February 1^st, 2019.