A journey through photographs

Exhibition of landscapes to continue till August 4.

LAHORE:

“I want us to feel for our country the way we do for our family; rooted and connected”, Fahad Mahmood, a photographer and a marketing professional, said at the inauguration of his photography exhibition on Thursday.

Mirass, a collection of 64 of Mahmood’s photographs went on display at the Alhamra Art Gallery. Explaining the theme, Mahmood said that they were taken over the last year during a trip across Pakistan.

Mahmood’s photographs have natural landscapes, culture and heritage from the Shigar Valley in Baltistan to the Makran Coastal Highway in the south. He has also captured places which he describes as rarely visited.

Salman Mazhar, a marketing professional, said that the photographs had highlighted the culture and heritage and had brought out the essence of Pakistan. He said he hoped for more such exhibitions where people could discover their own country.

“Art is close to my heart. Photography is just a medium. I am not really sure if I adopted photography or it adopted me,” Mahmood said. He regretted that photography was not always acknowledged in Pakistan as an art. He said that some people focused on the tool rather than the outcome. Among the best appreciated photographs was the The Yellow Sky that showed a sunset in Multan.

Irfan Abu Bakr, another visitor, said, “You get to witness the beauty of places most Pakistanis haven’t even heard of, let alone visited.” He said the ‘reality’ and ‘beauty’ of the photographs could make viewers want to go to these places.

Mahmood said that there was more to Pakistan than was projected. “This is our Miraas [heritage],” he added. Mahmood’s father, who he said had been his source of inspiration, inaugurated the exhibition. This is Mahmood’s first exhibition. It will continue till August 4.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 22^nd, 2011.