Beautification: China Chowk underpass gets emblazoned with meaningful colours
The murals aim to spread awareness about women’s rights.
ISLAMABAD:
The next time you drive through an Islamabad underpass, keep an eye out for meaningful art.
A dozen volunteers from the National College of the Arts (NCA) Rawalpindi painted a mural at the China Chowk underpass in sector F-6/1 on Friday.
The mural is part of a beautification-of-bridges campaign launched by the Capital Development Authority (CDA). The campaign is sponsored by ActionAid, a nongovernmental organisation.
The Shaheed-e Millat underpass mural is dedicated to the women of Pakistan. The motif of women’s struggles and empowerment appears in the mural as images of a girl child in school uniform, women working in rural settings and a woman’s body surrounded by birds flying.
Uzma Tahir, ActionAid’s policy manager, said the purpose of the murals is to highlight and create awareness among people about women’s rights, child marriage of girls and women’s education.
She said the pictographic representation shows that women across the globe and especially in Pakistan carry an invisible extra burden just by the virtue of being born as women.
NCA Director Nadeem Omer said the event was organized under NCA’s outreach programme.
“The NCA believes that artists should step out of their studios and galleries to work and exhibit in public spaces,” Omer said.
CDA’s board member for administration Munir Ahmed Chaudhry said the initiative is meant to beautify the structures around the city as well as recognize the services of Pakistan’s heroes including women, saints, sportsmen, youth and leaders of the Pakistan Movement.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 15th, 2012.
The next time you drive through an Islamabad underpass, keep an eye out for meaningful art.
A dozen volunteers from the National College of the Arts (NCA) Rawalpindi painted a mural at the China Chowk underpass in sector F-6/1 on Friday.
The mural is part of a beautification-of-bridges campaign launched by the Capital Development Authority (CDA). The campaign is sponsored by ActionAid, a nongovernmental organisation.
The Shaheed-e Millat underpass mural is dedicated to the women of Pakistan. The motif of women’s struggles and empowerment appears in the mural as images of a girl child in school uniform, women working in rural settings and a woman’s body surrounded by birds flying.
Uzma Tahir, ActionAid’s policy manager, said the purpose of the murals is to highlight and create awareness among people about women’s rights, child marriage of girls and women’s education.
She said the pictographic representation shows that women across the globe and especially in Pakistan carry an invisible extra burden just by the virtue of being born as women.
NCA Director Nadeem Omer said the event was organized under NCA’s outreach programme.
“The NCA believes that artists should step out of their studios and galleries to work and exhibit in public spaces,” Omer said.
CDA’s board member for administration Munir Ahmed Chaudhry said the initiative is meant to beautify the structures around the city as well as recognize the services of Pakistan’s heroes including women, saints, sportsmen, youth and leaders of the Pakistan Movement.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 15th, 2012.