The inauguration ceremony included an exhibition displaying 62 paintings by 41 artists, including veterans as well as some young ones. PHOTO: File
Expressions Art Gallery opened on Saturday in Sector XX, of the Defence Housing Authority. It would aim to “provide less known artists a platform to showcase their work,” gallery owner Naheed Siddiqui, the famous dancer says.
The inauguration ceremony included an exhibition displaying 62 paintings by 41 artists, including veterans as well as some young ones.
Siddiqui says while veteran artists need no introduction, new entrants in the field definitely needed to be promoted and encouraged.
Among others, paintings by Saeed Akhtar, Ghulam Mustafa, Punjab University College of Art and Design Principal Rahat Naveed Masud, Najam Peerzada and Asad Ali Changezi were displayed. Most of these were portraits and landscapes.
Pervaiz Saeed, the gallery’s public relations officer, says most paintings in the display were by well known artists, but several new artists had sent in their work and some of it was on display.
Sehar Gillani, the gallery’s curator, and a panel of artists had reviewed as many as 70 entries sent by young artists and selected the best ones.
Gillani says they could not display all the paintings because of the limited space and had to be very stringent in their review of the entries.
Saeed says the gallery will hold a talk next week on improving the quality of art. Saeed said the gallery provided frames for the paintings and would work with several artists by commissioning work. They would also conduct drawing and craft workshops at the gallery, Saeed says.
The pieces will remain on display until April 30. The paintings are priced between Rs250,000 and Rs1.2 million.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 22nd, 2013.
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