New beginnings: Capital’s oldest art gallery undergoes revamp

Nomad Centre and Gallery comes full circle with its focus on tradition and heritage.

ISLAMABAD:

An exhibition of miniatures by the award-winning artist Najamul Hassan Kazmi today will mark Nomad Centre and Art Gallery’s evolution from being the Islamabad’s first art space to a media and vocational training platform.

The gallery, Also a private voluntary organization, will celebrate its 30th anniversary in January next year and has been relocated and expanded to accommodate more of the forthcoming activities.

Nomad is committed to arts and crafts, culture, human rights, and peace initiatives with “Art for Social Change and Activism” — that focuses on women and children from marginalised communities — being one of the major programmes it is undertaking.

“Our aim is to promote progressive culture and the heritage of Pakistan by using art as a tool for awareness, education and empowerment,” said Nageen Hayat, activist and the gallery’s director and curator.



Titled “Sab Kahan Kuch Laala o Gul Main Numayan Ho Gayin”, the miniatures made over a span of four years pay tribute to women for their strength, beauty and resilience and features a combination of traditional and contemporary miniatures that stand out for their finesse and attention to detail.

“As a Pakistani, I feel compelled to bring to surface things that portray our heritage, instead of investing my energy in drawing monarchs from the past,” Kazmi said while describing his work.

Recipient of numerous awards including the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation Award for his commitment to preserve the Muslim heritage, Kazmi started out with traditional genres and with finely-honed skills and powerful compositions, perfected his miniatures that depict traditional style while a touch of additional  modern elements.

A decade-old member of Shanaakht — A Nomad Forum for the Arts — he has also exhibited miniature paintings and paper mache crafts in Germany, France, Iran, India, Gulf, the United Kingdom, Turkey and Pakistan.

Launched in 2007, Shanakht is a voluntary platform that is involved in humanitarian work, art and craft workshops, film screenings, talks and presentations and seeks to promote fledgling artists, musicians, poets and writers.

The gallery has come a long way from when it forayed into the arts and crafts scene of the capital and has had its fair share of both, challenges and successes.

“It was during General Zia’s time when we fought against an authoritarian regime but we are as worried about art spaces now as we were back then,” said Hyat, who also appreciated the efforts of new players venturing into the capital’s art scene and termed it a good omen for the future. She is also spearheading the Women’s Action Forum in the twin cities.

Art gallery

The gallery has showcased the work of thousands of artists since inception. “From fresh graduates to seasoned artists, I have encouraging and critiqued their work, and I can be very strong with the latter,” Hyat said, adding that for the space, the artists’ feelings and experiences comes before market demands.

Media section

The new premises is now also home to a media training department that will hold professionally-tailored classes and workshops on vocational and skill training for students of all age and class groups.

Enrolment for intensive video and documentary production short course, acting, photography, puppetry, painting and paper crafts will also open today.

Community workshops

Through the years, the voluntary organisation has worked with various communities and organisations from across the country to produce handicrafts to showcase their work to a wider audience and has organised crafts-based skill training workshops for youth, working closely with the dwellers of Saidpur village among other communities.

Volunteerism

Committed to humanitarian response that deals with natural and man-made calamities, Nomad has used art therapy workshops and trauma counselling, medical camps and rations to help the affected families.

In a dynamic move, art space is also launching an in-house café to cater to creative and talented minds for discourse and exchange of ideas. “We welcome people from all walks of life including talented young artists, foreigners and members of different faiths and communities,” Hyat said.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 5^th, 2013.