Degree show: Fashioned out of clay with love

LAHORE:

The work of five students from the Ceramics Department of the National College of Arts (NCA) was displayed at a degree show on Thursday.

Aqsa Akbar Khan, who had scores of terracotta pieces on display, told The Express Tribune that her work was premised on the revival of dying crafts. “I have explored this theme for potters from the ceramics industry of Pakistan,” she said. Khan said she had tried to find ways of introducing new products and increasing the market for their products. “People have started ignoring their culture. We should try to remedy this,” she said. Khan said she had taken a step in this regard. She said she had developed a clay body and created utensils such as a steamer, a shallow saucepan, a fruit bowl and a modified version of a yoghurt bowl. Khan said she had conducted glaze tests on things that had been produced earlier to embellish them. She said her passion for cooking had made her join the department. Khan said she believed that cooking and ceramics were inherently related. “I wanted to work on this,” she said.

Hena Asghar, who had 12 pieces on display, said all the garden furniture being showcased had been fashioned out of clay. She said she had wanted to create a seating arrangement composed of natural materials. “What is more natural then clay?” Asghar said. She said she had introduced the entire range due to this. “One will not be able to find furniture of this variety in the market,” Asghar said. She said this was the first time that anyone had created garden furniture on such a scale. Asghar said all her pieces were handmade. She said due to its great size she had taken the entire range to a factory in Gujranwala to get it fired.

Ayesha Saeed, who displayed various designs of plant pots, said she had aimed to design gardening solutions for empty walls and dead corners and spaces in residences. She said she wanted to introduce a gardening culture that was unconventional, one-of-a-kind and economical. Saeed said she had tried to find interesting ways of decorating small houses and apartments through her work. “People dwelling in such places tend to believe that they cannot indulge in their passion for gardening due to space limitations,” she said. Saeed said they could indulge their passion and beautify the spaces they inhabit with such designs.



Shehneela Suri, who displayed various kinds of garden lights, said fragility, lightness and the flexibility of fabrication methods had fascinated her as a ceramist. She said clay had all these attributes. Suri said inspired by applied arts she had elected to play with the aesthetic qualities of everyday objects. “My lights bring art into the world of products that can be put to use. They will give a simple yet modern touch to any household at an affordable price,” she said.

Fizza Ali, another student, said she had designed insulated tiles for building facades. She said they would prevent heat from entering or escaping chosen interior spaces. Ali said this would ensure pleasant conditions inside irrespective of seasons. She said her work had been geared towards the pressing energy shortage in the nation. Ali stressed the need to find cost-effective solutions to the problem that consumed little or no energy.   

Published in The Express Tribune, February 20^th, 2015.