Photo: File
KARACHI: A cultural capital with immense historical significance, Jamshoro has been hosting the International Watercolour Biennale Pakistan since 2016, giving hundreds of artists one platform to spread the message of peace, love and harmony through their work.
This year, on February 26, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology (MUET)’s Center of Excellence in Arts and Design (CEAD) hosted the third edition of the acclaimed event, titled ‘Pearls of Peace III.’
It was a symphony of watercolours which brought together watercolour masters and young watercolorists from 80 countries around the world. The event did not only showcase awe-inspiring works but was filled with different engaging and exciting activities too, taking place at different corners of the city. From folk music to cultural dance to exhibitions and traditional food stalls, the guests enjoyed Jamshoro to the fullest.
Photo: FileThe curator, country leader and renowned artist Ali Abbas Syed, co-curator Fatima Ali and Director CEAD Bhai Khan Shar expressed their gratitude toward foreign artists who managed to come at the time of a global health crisis. Alena Kruglova (Russia), Asuman Dogan (Canada) Bea Strugo (Argentina), Natalia Studenkova (Ukraine), Diana Toma (USA), Bob Hannah (USA), Pedja Acimovic (Italy) and Vladimir Marcos (Argentina) enjoyed the hospitality in Pakistan and left with a happy heart.
The founder and president of the International Watercolor Society Mr Atanur Dogan has always attended the Biennale to celebrate the success of the platform that he founded in 2014. He, along with watercolorist Moazzam Ali (Watercolor Master Award and best Juror Award recipient) and Rabia Nawab (Appreciation Award and Best Juror Award recipient) distributed the awards among the winners of an online painting contest.
Photo: FileIt was exhilarating to see MUET becoming a platform of cultural exchange and dialogue, allowing attendees to learn and broaden their horizons. They could feast their eyes on the mesmerising watercolour images arranged in different rooms of CEAD. An array of subjects co were covered by the paintings, portraying different cultures and countries, landscapes, portraits, cityscapes, seascapes, abstracts and still objects.
The painters had beautifully conveyed the message of love to a wider audience. One would be intrigued by the dexterous techniques of colour-blending with nimble strokes and creating clear and decipherable, strong images while keeping the beauty and transparency of the medium alive.
There was also a mime performance by CEAD students about climate change and our environment, which won the hearts of the audience. The students narrated the evolution of human kind and how materialism doomed it.
Dogan said that the branch of IWS in Pakistan is the strongest one and the Biennale is proof of that. The purpose of arranging it is to introduce the art of one country to another and spread love among them.
Photo: File“Born and brought up in Turkey, I founded the IWS in 2011 in Teos, Turkey, and a branch was opened in 2015 in Pakistan with eminent artist Ali Abbas Syed. I want to tell all the people present today that art gives a message of peace and love only. People should see this face of Pakistan and not the negativity portrayed about the country,” he announced.
The artists also set a record by painting a 22-meter long sheet in the lawns of CEAD. The live demonstrations gave a chance to art enthusiasts and students to see the techniques and processes of fusing colours by the masters. To appreciate their services, Lifetime Achievement Awards, Excellence Awards and Appreciation Awards were also distributed.
The third installment of ‘Pearls of Peace’ also made history by bringing the largest number of artists from all over the world under one roof and ensuring the legacy of watercolour is still appreciated.
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