Meher Afroz at T2F Art Moments

The eminent artist talks about memory, tradition and history influencing her art practice.

KARACHI: As part of The Second Floor (T2F)’s Art Moments, which are candid conversations with artists, the acclaimed art educator Meher Afroz was recently invited to participate in the series’ fifth session. Born in Lucknow and practising her artistic talent since the 1970s, Meher Afroz has exhibited extensively in the country and internationally. She has been honoured with several awards and is currently teaching at Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture.

Kick-starting the conversation, Afroz said about her artistic influences, “When I paint, I try to take my society and heritage into account.” Moving on to her move from Lucknow and her settlement in Karachi in the early 1970s, Afroz said, “It came as a shock to me as it was intrinsically different. In Lucknow, there was warmth in people’s attitude and mannerisms. In Karachi, everyone has a commercial/business mindset.”

Regarding the art curriculum taught in educational institutions these days, she was of the opinion, “Students with a love for say, miniature painting, learn the art form, but they are completely unaware of the historical aspect. There should be more focus on this.”

She also felt that the Karachi art scene wasn’t vibrant enough. “Had I not migrated from India to Pakistan, I would have never felt the stark difference; there is a serious death of galleries in Karachi.”

Criticising the government’s role or lack of it in the field of artistic promotion, she said, “Individuals are working on providing a platform to promote creativity which is why individuals also get to dictate their own philosophy to the artist.”

While quoting the example of calligraphist and artist Sadequain, who focussed on the poverty stricken and based a lot of his paintings on his every day experiences, Afroz said, “One learns from not only books, but also experiences.”

She also discussed the growing inaccessibility of artists. “Today, common people cannot even talk to a renowned painter, or a well-known poet, as there are several barriers to cross to get to them. Back in the day, even the legendary Faiz Ahmed Faiz was accessible to the public.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 28^th, 2012.