A non-violent picture

Athar Khan’s photo exhibition at Alliance Francaise de Karachi convinced me that beauty really does lie in the eyes of the beholder. A stroll around the gallery treats the viewer to a peaceful, non-violent picture of a city seen as quite volatile by many.

Khan, a photographer for The Express Tribune, brings the pictures of everyday events for the city desk. His exposure ranges from grave tragedies like the Baldia factory fire and the mass killings like the recent Safoora Chowrangi attack, to the cultural events that keep happening around the city. Yet the photographs he chose to display at his exhibition inspired me. It showed how little he had been affected by the violence he covers every other day.

His works revolved around music, art, dance, customs, traditions and religious celebrations, amongst other things. I had seen almost all the pictures while putting them on our city pages as they happened. What I hadn’t seen then was how they affected him. The exhibition made me understand Khan’s perception of our city of lights. I was born in Karachi and, therefore, hold it dear. It made me happy to see that there are people who are still optimistic about this city that many see as being on the verge of collapse.

No doubt, we have crime and terrorism looming large in our faces. But we also have many beautiful aspects of life in Karachi. The fact that there was more than one photograph of Sea View in the exhibition holds special meaning for me. Sea View is one of our comfort resorts and a symbol of peace for Karachi. While it may be unsafe and unclean, it still has the cool, soothing breeze and the pleasing sound of the gushing water to offer. Khan chose to bring out this most beautiful part of Karachi in his exhibition, which reflects how he sees the city. Perhaps it is people themselves who determine happiness and sadness in life. Some choose to lament over the lack of hygiene, power and water crises and the crime rate of the city. Others, like Khan, are capable of seeing its beauty.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 15^th, 2015.