A painter in search of a patron
The dusty path leading up to Ibrahim Hyderi hints at what lies ahead. Dolphins, sharks, seaweeds and other marine creatures painted over the ocean blue walls lining the road welcome citizens to the neighbourhood. Boats and launches depicted on the mural reflect the lives of the fishing community it houses.
Boat artist Abdul Aziz wishes he could paint over every wall in the city that is marred by paan stains and hate slogans. While the recent cold winds sweeping through the metropolis have had most Karachiites huddled indoors, Aziz has spent every day this winter beautifying both walls, 6,500 square metres each, with hues of blue and marine life.
Passion to paint
Aziz was born with a love for colours. As a child he spent his days flitting about the ships docked at the Ibrahim Hyderi Jetty and admired the artwork depicted on launches. Memorising the designs he began first by imitating them onto other boats and then embellishing them with his own creations. He learnt the art of painting solely through observation and experimentation polishing his skills over time.
When the initiative to beautify the newly rehabilitated road was launched under the Karachi Neighbourhood Improvement Project, Aziz jumped to offer his services.
The project aims to enhance public spaces in selected neighbourhoods of the city, and Aziz was tasked with painting a mural representative of the fishermen community.
Completing the mural, named as the Peoples Aquarium, is no easy feat. It is envisioned as Pakistan’s largest mural - the combined length of both walls is 13,000 square feet.
But where other painters took days to sketch out their designs before colouring them in, Aziz could paint large fishes in minutes. Having grown up near the fisheries and having worked as a fisherman, Aziz paints with memory. He is well acquainted with several marine creatures and with a practiced hand, he needs only a brush and some paint.
His work depicts the various stages of earning a livelihood as a fisherman.
Enhancing public space
The mural was conceptualised with the aim to raise awareness on marine protection and to beautify the neighbourhood. And as it nears completion the effects of the artwork are already evident in the attitudes of the local people.
Since the project launched residents in the area have refrained from dirtying the walls, said Sharjeel Baloch, a local artist, speaking to The Express Tribune. Instead, the locals express care for the mural and find their fishing life reflected in the artwork, according to Baloch. They see it as a positive change for the city, he added.
Before the mural was painted, people used to scribble hate and political slogans on the wall, shared Baloch. The painting adds a sense of belonging. Social behaviours can be positively impacted by clean and homely environments, granted that the work is undertaken with cooperation of the community, opined Baloch.
Inspired by Aziz’s work, some residents have whitewashed other walls in the neighbourhood with the aim to embellish them with more paintings that resonate with life at the fishing harbour.
In search of a patron
Aziz can paint anything, no matter how large the canvas. In the summer months, when fishing activities are suspended, Aziz paints boats and launches in intricate and colourful designs.
He would like nothing better to fill every wall in the city with grand murals and paint over every dirty scribble or stain. He would smear colours over every hateful and discriminatory slogan sprayed in public spaces along the metropolis, he says. But for that, Aziz, laments that he would need support from the government.
When the launches are out at sea, his finances are constrained, and days are spent in search for work that permits him to paint. Typically, during these months, he does odd jobs painting billboards, signs and advertisements.
This story is part of a weekly series that seeks to bring to light the unsung heroes of Karachi - the hawkers, traders, doctors, teachers, engineers, lawyers and daily-wage labourers. It is they who make Karachi the city of lights.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 21st, 2020.