IVS students flaunt their handiwork from the ‘magical Artventure’

From reality to conceptualism, the creations attest the dexterity of their creators.

KARACHI:

Magic is taking something ordinary and creating something extraordinary with it.  It is the stuff fairytales are made of — but who is to say fairytales cannot be designed in an art studio.

When students of the Indus Valley School’s Foundation Programme started their course, they did not believe in magic. Little did they know they would be creating it by the end of the course.

One year on, the products of their efforts were displayed at the Alliance Francaise de Karachi Gallery on Wednesday. The exhibition, hosted by the Alliance Francaise, in association with The Express Tribune, marked the graduation of students of the IVS Foundation Programme 2013.

The exhibits displayed at the Alliance Francaise de Karachi Gallery had been created over the past year by students of the IVS Foundation Programme. The works included slippers made from paper, hand-crafted chairs, self-portraits, sculptures, layered images and other creations. PHOTOS: ATHAR KHAN/EXPRESS

For Shaheer Khan, a self-proclaimed and self-taught magician, the arts gave him the leverage to express his ‘magical’ talents and infuse them in his creations. Despite a background in business studies, Khan was always inclined towards the fine arts.  “I am an illusionist,” he remarked with a wry smile, as he spoke about his works with The Express Tribune. “My focus is always to incorporate magic into anything I design or work with,” he explained, pointing towards a wooden chair he had crafted, which gave the impression that it was suspended in mid-air. The chair, like the many others made by his peers, had been designed to bear the weight of a person and been constructed without the use of nails or glue.

Graduating with the illusionist was potentially the next big name in textile design, Maria Jawad. Jawad’s works range from a self-portrait that depicts how she really sees herself to the intricately designed slippers made of tessellations of paper. She drew her inspiration from Mughal art, she claimed. When Maria joined the Foundation programme, she had her mind set on communications design as a major. Now, she feels she could do rather well in textile design. Her teachers agree.

Another student to have benefitted from the programme was Anika Farishta. Her canvas showed the silhouette of a face peeking from between two curtains. She described the painting as an impersonation of her own true self — the shy, reserved figure hiding behind veils, not wishing to disclose her true identity to the world.

The exhibits displayed at the Alliance Francaise de Karachi Gallery had been created over the past year by students of the IVS Foundation Programme. The works included slippers made from paper, hand-crafted chairs, self-portraits, sculptures, layered images and other creations. PHOTOS: ATHAR KHAN/EXPRESS

When Farwa Mahmood started the course, she wanted to make a career in fine arts but she feels differently now. “Fine arts as a career, definitely has its perks but it entails a lot of struggle.” She was of the opinion that a career in architecture would be more suited to her.

“This is the idea behind the course,” agreed the programme coordinator and an associate professor, Tazeen Hussain. “The students are encouraged to engage in 2D and 3D tutorials and undertake basic training in all disciplines.” She explained that the exercise helped them realise their strengths and weaknesses and choose their career path wisely. “The beauty of the programme is that the students are better equipped to choose between any of the disciplines offered at the IVS from their second year onwards.”

For Sara Burney, a 3D teacher, the programme is the initial step where students are taught the essentials of their trade. She proudly points towards the different works, explaining the attention to minute detail and the concepts behind them. One of the most interesting models designed by the students was an egg-package made out of paper tessellations. “The package can hold an egg which won’t break even if thrown from the third floor,” she remarked.

From ‘load-bearing’ chairs and self-portraits to the 3D metal sculptures and multi-layered 2D canvases on family values, the exhibits are testimony to the students’ talents and finesse.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 13^th, 2013.