The Warehouse reopens with a new exhibition and an old venture

The organisers aim to promote artists and employ labourers - all at once.

KARACHI: Twenty-eight pieces of Arabic verses in meticulously inscribed calligraphy were put up on the walls and placed on tables, glowing serenely in the strategically lit sections of the ‘Warehouse’.

The exhibit, titled ‘Islamic Calligraphy’ comprised artwork with an aura of quaint simplicity. It was launched on Sunday and will continue for the next 15 days.

The art space, the ‘Warehouse’, is the brainchild of Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture graduates Umer Adil, Naveed Salam and Beenish Umer and Fawad Suhail. They stood about, looking obviously satisfied with the outcome of their latest venture.

Along with the calligraphy, the organisers were also selling some of their own products such as mugs and key chains. These are crafted by home-based workers who always need the work.

“We tend to focus on group shows and provide a platform for artists to display their work,” explained Adil. “In turn, we also sell our products.”

The studio-cum-gallery has hosted an exhibit roughly once every two months since its launch in February. It is only open during exhibitions and can only be visited by booking appointments otherwise.

Artists Abdul Salam, Aisha Ilyas, Saba Shahid, Dabir Ahmed and Abdul Rauf were the talent behind the canvases and ceramics washed with vibrant colours and etched with Arabic text in oils, print, mixed media and prints.

The theme of their work was self-explanatory, with titles such as ‘Bismillah’, ‘SubhanAllah’, and ‘Chaar Qul’. Prices ranged from Rs6,500 to Rs60,000. Saba Shahid, a self-taught painter, has been working with ceramics and paints for 10 years. She hopes to reflect the absoluteness of God in her calligraphy. She had eight works on display on Sunday - mostly oil on canvas. NCA graduate Abdul Rauf used the same medium in his four pieces.

The former chief designer of Pakistan’s security printing press’s banknote division prefers to focus on basic calligraphy and the names of God.

Fusing geometry with calligraphy, Aisha Ilyas opted for print on canvas and digital prints to produce sharp angles. Though she had six pieces on display on the weekend, Ilyas intends to expand her collection and add variety to her work.

Abdul Salam’s four fibre murals were rich in cultural and religious connotations. The artist has been practicing for over 30 years, and his work is priced between Rs6,500 and Rs15,000. Dabir Ahmed also opted for murals, and his glazed murals were also on display.

Art for a cause

Brightly coloured ashtrays, candle stands, mugs and coasters also stood on tables bearing price tags. These products designed by the organisers, however, serve a greater purpose than simply generating revenue. Adil, Naveed Salam and Beenish Umer are using their products by working with freelance labourers to encourage employment.

“Craftsmen who make chaar pais and individual items such as furniture legs make these items for us - this not only benefits these labourers financially, but they are also able to employ more workers in turn, expanding the job market for such labour,” explained Adil. “Previously, we only bought these mugs in ones and twos, now we buy them from these craftsmen in batches of hundreds.”

One of the products, key chains attached to thin, round metal plates roughly the size of an adult’s palm, with the Pakistani crescent and star painted on it, were crafted using recyclable steel and were sold on August 14 during an Independence Day exhibition. They were worth Rs350 apiece.

The skill of a craftsman, paired with the Warehouse teams’ guidance, has been very successful, and they have now expanded to the United States and Dubai.

“We are working primarily with labourers based in Karachi at the moment but we are also, on a smaller scale, working on projects in Lahore that are in the pipeline,” said Adil.

In April, their efforts were recognised by the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) association of Pakistan. CSR and Warehouse held an exclusive joint reception where all current CSR members were invited to come in and see the team’s ideas, solutions and creative possibilities. A certificate of appreciation was also awarded to the Warehouse team.

Posters of photographs from across the country were also available - a favourite among both residents and expats, explained Adil. “Photographers turn these in to us and instead of making them into typical postcards we add text to them in order to educate people about their significance.”

Published in The Express Tribune, October 17^th, 2011.