Wrapping up the year of Faiz, in style

PNCA, Kuch Khaas pay tribute to the legendary poet in their own ways.

ISLAMABAD:

Faiz centennial looks to end with a bang, with homage paid to the poet and intellectual at two unique events in Islamabad on Tuesday.

In the first event, an exhibition, an assortment of award-winning postcards and select entries from the Faiz Art Prize 2011 went up on display at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA). In addition to the exhibition, a portrait of Faiz, created by sculptor Irfan Hakeem, was put up to honour him as the first chairman of the PNCA.

The Faiz Art Prize 2011, organised by Nukta Art, Aman Ki Asha and the Progressive Writers Association, aimed to pay homage to the iconic poet and intellectual by bringing together his poetry and philosophy and visual art together.

The gallery enshrined vignettes from his lifetime; a television showed Faiz’s interviews, clips of him reciting his poetry, and ghazals adapted from his work. In addition to the postcards that ran all across the walls, a large glass installation of calligraphy of the treasured poem “Bol ke lab azaad hain tere” was suspended from the ceiling.

The postcard format showcased the deep extent to which Faiz has moved individuals, as some artists directly addressed the back of their postcards to him. For instance Asad Hayee addressed Faiz as his role model, while Naz Ikramullah’s card read, “I admire Faiz sahib for his fearless activism, his humanism and poetry and above all because he makes us all stand tall.”

Veteran artists such as Amin Gulgee, Prof. Saeed Akhtar, and Meher Afroz etcetera and art students made up the two categories of participants. The jury, Naazish Ataullah, Musasarat Nahid Imam, Saquib Hanif, Tariq Rangoonwala and Asif Farrukhi, selected two works in each category for prizes whereas the popular prize was based on the input by the visitors to the exhibition.

Meanwhile in a second event at Kuch Khaas, select verses from Faiz’s poetry were read out before a small gathering of poetry lovers. The tribute began with a recital of an English poem written by a young student.

Aslam Azhar, former managing director PTV and an intellectual, then recited poetry penned down by Faiz in 1982 and just before his death; he also talked about the effect poetry has played on the nation, “Pakistan is in dire need of revolutionary poetry once again to awaken the people.”

Another prominent literary figure, Agha Nasir, spoke about his book “Hum jeetay ji masroof rahay”, which is a tribute to Faiz’s poetry. The book itself is based on verses of Faiz that are not as popular as his other poems, but are just as brilliant.

Keeping in mind with the month of Muharram, writer and journalist Narjis Zaidi delivered Faiz’s Marsia-i-Imam. When asked about her views on Faiz, Riaz said, “It is amazing that people to this day are remembering the great poet that he was; not only is he remembered in this country but in the entire subcontinent as well.”

With additional reporting by Sehrish Ali

Published in The Express Tribune, December 21^st, 2011.