Canvas, colour, craft: Artwork speaks emotions at University of Peshawar

Young artists depict growing militancy and unrest in the country.

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar University Teaching Association Hall usually witnesses teachers’ meetings, conferences, exhibitions and marriages, but on Thursday morning it was a different sight altogether.

Instead of being filled with chairs and long tables with teachers discussing university matters, the walls were decorated with colourful paintings and handicraft stalls. Through their projects the students highlighted their emotions on various social issues in the form of art.

All this was a part of the thesis exhibition of the final year students of Fine Arts Department at University of Peshawar. There were 20 different projects comprising of four paintings, three textile designs and 13 communication design projects. The exhibition was open for all.

They showed that the growing militancy and unrest in the country has added miseries to life of people and has led to serious mental and psychological disorders.

Zahra Batool Jafferi, student of BA (Hons) shared her experience of use of pattern in advertising. She explored the work of elegant henna motifs and its arrangement in different items.

Urooj, who belongs to Charsadda district had arranged a stall of handcraft like dresses, shawls, and old jewellery, said that she did her Masters in English but due to interest in arts she was able to prepare these items with her mother and sister.

“Through such programmes and exhibitions we show our skill to other people. It is my request to provincial government to provide a specific place for these kind of artists so that they at least they can generate some livelihood,” she said. “

"Emotion is an intangible phenomena and I wanted to put it down ON tangible surface so that one could sense it with the eye of the mind,” Sidra Shah another student of fine arts final year said, whose topic of thesis is emotion.

She told The Express Tribune that both positive and negative sides have been portrayed in her work. “I made ten paintings over bad and good emotions through different colures and painting,” she said.

Mashal Ahmad, a final year student of Fine Arts, said that her topic is suicide and through her work she wanted to explore the dark face of death and suicide. She had highlighted the different reasons of suicide through painting.

In one painting a man lies over a railway track and a train approaching. “It depicts a young man committing suicide due to depression,” she said.

The thesis exhibition is the culmination of what students have learnt during their four years stay at the university, said chairperson Department of Fine Arts, Gul Mahida Naaz.

She said the exhibition was arranged to motivate others that UoP graduates have worked against all odds.

Chief Guest Farooq Swati said the practical work on display today is an evidence of skills and creative abilities of the students. “In the ever-changing perspective of our society, research and innovation are essential phenomena which lead to success,” he said.