New art space spotlights creative talent

Inaugural exhibit showcases works by emerging and established Pakistani artists

ISLAMABAD:

FMR Art Space held its inaugural exhibition, "The First Layer: The Beginning of Becoming," curated by acclaimed miniature artist and curator Farrah Mehmood Rana (Pride of Performance).

Marking the launch of the new creative space, the exhibition brought together the work of emerging, young and mid-career artists - graduates of the National College of Arts (NCA), Beaconhouse National University (BNU) and COMSATS University Islamabad - in a landmark celebration of Pakistan's evolving contemporary art landscape.

Featuring twenty artists including, Amna Hashmi, Areej Zubair, Dagmer Rauwald, Farida Fatima, Hafsa Iram, Khan Labeeb, Muhammad Junaid, Samreen Asghar, Samreen Rehman, Sidra Ashraf, Shameen Amjad, Dr Tabassum Shaheen, Ufaq Tabassum, Widyan Tarar, Zarin Gul, Zainab Mudassir, and up to fifty artworks across a diverse range of mediums and practices, the exhibition offers a rare, panoramic view into the creative trajectories of a new generation of Pakistani artists alongside more established voices.

Among the participating artists are a striking cohort of freshly graduated COMSATS talents, whose inclusion reflects Farrah Mehmood Rana's commitment to nurturing and providing a platform for emerging practices. Farrah Mehmood Rana has a strong academic career as well as a commitment for promoting art and culture which lead her to establishing FMR studio space and gallery for holding and promoting art and culture related activities.

"The First Layer symbolises the beginning of becoming - a space where ideas, processes and practices come together to shape new possibilities," says Rana. "This exhibition is not simply an opening; it is an invitation into a dialogue, exploration, and deliberate work of artists finding their footing and their voices."

The opening reception was graced by distinguished chief guests German Embassy Head of Communications, Culture Affairs and Protocol Jan Gerald Krausser and Mher Princess - both noted collectors of art in their own right.