The thesis display concluded on Saturday.
Javed, who graduated with honours, says she used clay to represent the organic dimension and nuts and bolts to portray the mechanic dimension. She says her project, Transitional Essence, includes “raw and confused sculptures depicting fear and insecurity and mechanised ones depicting the ultimate triumph of reason over fear”.
Javed says she was inspired by the struggle humans wage to overcome fear. “These two feelings mark the beginning of most of our endeavours,” she says. The final sculpture in the series shows the mechanical dimension dominant over the organic, she adds. “This represents growth and progress. I have tried to show strength and determination overpowering fear,” she says.
The sculptures are priced between Rs3,500 and Rs16,000. Some of these have been customised to be used as table lamps and ashtrays. The artist says she has already sold some of the sculptures priced in the range of Rs3,500 and Rs4,500. The response has been overwhelming, she adds.
Javed believes that with mass production art can lose meaning so for the time being at least she plans to work for a limited clientele.
With her project on ceramic board games, Hadia Azam intends to revive social activities involving entire families. “The charm in sharing leisure with our families seems lost. People have even started playing board games on smartphones,” she says.
Azam has produced a ludo board using mosaic art patterns in vibrant colours. Some ceramic boards she has developed can be used as tops of portable serving tables and trays. She says she has chosen ludo because of its popularity and also because it is her personal favourite.
She has yet to price these boards.
Describing her plans for future, Azam says she plans to work with tiles and also experiment with 3D characters.
She says a lot has yet to be done to promote ceramic art in the country.
“The perception among most people that ceramic art is relevant only to pottery design is incorrect,” she says.
She says, the interest in the art is rising. She says while there were only three ceramic design students in her batch, there are nine in the succeeding batch.
Khadija Shafqat has already started getting orders from architects for her See-Through Walls project.
Research for the project took her six months. “I examined several brick carving patterns on before starting my work,” she said.
Each brick in her design costs Rs250. She intends to accept orders for no less than 25 bricks.
Her double-sided bricks have two surfaces carrying ceramic patterns. The middle is transparent glass.
Shafqat says the bricks have practical as well as aesthetic utility. “Such bricks are ideal for walls where there is no need for a lot of privacy,” she adds.
She plans to open her own studio.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 23rd, 2012.
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