Waheed delves into all kinds of moulds to assemble plates, large bowls and tea-sets among other items. PHOTO: MAHBINA WAHEED
Given today’s fast-paced world, the significance of hand-crafted products and utilisation of earthy raw materials has diminished. Utensils at home are now mere objects of convenience rather than a symbolic celebration of arts and crafts. Redefining the dexterity of the quaint craft of pottery, Mahbina Waheed has been a woman on a mission.
Since the past 15 years, Waheed’s ClayWorks has been manufacturing clay products from scratch. With a degree in Economics and Government from Smiths College in the United States, she may not have mastered the art through education, but by experience. She insists she’s not “saving the dying craft but reviving it with modern technique.” Her passion for the craft has groomed her into a professional and certified ceramist.
Waheed recently showcased her Christmas collection. Describing her latest endeavour, Waheed says, “This season, I focused on creating items with multicultural and religious significance.” Interestingly, her products could be perceived to depict interfaith harmony. “We prepared items with a number of Christian motifs and some Islamic motifs taken from artworks, and combined them strategically,” she adds.
Having been abroad for a while, the artist has a strong inclination towards western aesthetics as well. She asserts that her work boasts a fusion, stating, “I don’t solely rely on the East for inspiration. I’m more about amalgamating cultures.” Self-taught, the craftswoman trusts her eye and instincts to aesthetically combine designs. “My work is about East and West combined together. I carry the Pakistani and Islamic heritage plus tribal motifs as the basis for my patterns.”
Based in Lahore, she has two running factories situated near Gulberg and Allama Iqbal Airport. With two stores exhibiting and retailing her products in the city, she now has one store in Islamabad as well. Having showcased her works only through art exhibitions in Karachi, she is yet to set up a store in the metropolis.
Waheed confesses that taking up the craft wasn’t the first thing she was set out to accomplish. “I realised the significance of clay much later in my life,” she says. On what drove her to utilise the raw material, she states, “Ceramics is something that greatly appeals to me. From the medium to the material to the natural matter, I’m enthralled by it.” It’s only when she commenced with the business that she recognised the real potential of the raw material that has riveted the attention of archaeologists for centuries.
Her expertise lies in tableware and tile manufacturing, which she takes care of from her factory outlets. Initially starting out with designing bowls and mugs with simple patterns, she now delves into all kinds of moulds to create plates, large bowls and tea-sets among a host of other items. She feels that her designs have evolved over the time and so has her technique. She has also attempted to fly the flag on international platforms. Talking about her international clientele, she says, “Jamie Oliver, the food expert, is my client. We sold a range of bowls to his company in various sizes, however, we modernise these a bit.”
Published in The Express Tribune, January 28th, 2015.
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