A creative camaraderie of painting & poetry
Schezee Zaidi
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Islamabad
In a unique creative camaraderie through painting and poetry, Faiza Khan and Ata Turab presented their inspired works in colour and words at an exhibition titled ‘Inception of an Echo’ at the Hunerkada. The exhibits put on display by the poet and painter offer art connoisseurs a time for contemplation, meditation, reflection and inspiration to concentrate on words, construct a poetic rhythm, and project intensity through the imagist doctrine of human passion.
Using themes from life, both Faiza and Ata weave a creative dialogue to explore insights and issues that come up around “owning ideas” working with other people’s visions, letting go of control, finding a shared vision, and examining the roadblocks to newer pastures of artistic achievement.
Eminent artist couple Mansur Rahi and Hajira Mansur inaugurated the exhibition with calculative words of praise and a few tips for the creative minds on how to grow as an artist and maintain originality in their creative vision and expression. Mansur Rahi said that art is a complex subject and cannot be analysed in simple words. Rahi did not comment on Ata’s poetry but about Faiza’s paintings on display, he said that Faiza’s present work is a transformation of graphic reality with a good balance. He said that it is very difficult to understand and present analytical view about creative work.
Jamal Shah, the director of Hunerkada College of Visual and Performing Arts, while welcoming the guests, said: “Though both artists have tried to complement each other through their respective mediums, but I would rather keep them apart as I have my reservations and believe that poetry and painting cannot be blended together.”
The paintings and poetry on display portray the repercussions of social injustice, economic inequality and suppression of marginalised segments of society, subtly initiating a dialogue with the artists’ souls and with their surroundings. Faiza Khan’s expressions on canvas question the intellectual suppression and injustices that confine a person, while Ata Turab’s poetry probes to the value of human life and emotions. The exhibition is unique in a way that it is based on collaboration of a painter with a poet. However, it’s interesting to note that poetry by Ata Turab do not illustrate Faiza’s paintings and neither the oil paintings and graphite drawings by Faiza illustrate Ata’s poetry. Both members of the creative community rather coexist side by side and give the viewer a chance to travel through emotional shifts that the collaboration of two mediums generates.
Sharing their thoughts with this scribe while answering a question, both Ata and Faiza said that they have used their own selected medium to express their concerns and aesthetic thinking and through the process, the two discovered that they were asking similar questions and coping with similar concerns. The two met in 2011 while Faiza was working with various art projects concerning social issues under the umbrella of her organisation Rastay, and Ata Turab being a fine poet and a TV anchor, carried great interest in social issues. The collaboration began after Faiza Khan’s painting exhibition in November 2011 that inspired them to have a professional collaboration with similar aspirations.
Ata’s words ‘Yahan hamari riazat bhi raigan hai turab, ye ahed ahdey tijarat hai kiya kaha jaye’ refers to the concerns of present chaos and turmoil in the society, while Faiza beautifully sketches the struggle of women trying to survive the discriminatory attitude and societal taboos. Addressing individuals and organisations, including policy makers, institutions, and members of civil society, media and research community, this symbiotic sobriety of artistry by Faiza and Ata seeks to provide beacons that can guide the course of those committed to fundamental human values.
Faiza Khan made a name for herself for her energetic paintings of socio-political and mostly female subjects. For this exhibition, however, she has also picked up a graphite pencil and explored the medium of drawing as a mode of expression.
Ata Turab’s words also hold strong content relating to socio-political issues, philosophy, romance and journey into simple yet refined emotions. One finds Ata’s poetry an absolute long narrative, where your characters in words tease and engage, multiply and divide, arrest and surrender, probe and explore, love and hate, redeem and sin, live and die — but, always breathe, creating a sense of extinguishing the inner climate of mind and soul. He captures the horrors, glories, mundane existence, confrontations, demons, consequences, and what it is to be alive in a world full of facades that we human beings are classified to follow whether we agree or disagree.
Ata Turab and Faiza Khan have used the powerful tool of art to see the transparent cuts in the society that wound the whole structure. Both artists hold strong statement regarding the lack of art and creativity, which gives a nurturing soil for extreme ideas. Through their shared vision, both send a message to the world that through art, we can introduce catharsis of chaos, not only for the artist, who creates that art, but also for the viewer who connects with it.
Schezee Zaidi
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Islamabad
In a unique creative camaraderie through painting and poetry, Faiza Khan and Ata Turab presented their inspired works in colour and words at an exhibition titled ‘Inception of an Echo’ at the Hunerkada. The exhibits put on display by the poet and painter offer art connoisseurs a time for contemplation, meditation, reflection and inspiration to concentrate on words, construct a poetic rhythm, and project intensity through the imagist doctrine of human passion.
Using themes from life, both Faiza and Ata weave a creative dialogue to explore insights and issues that come up around “owning ideas” working with other people’s visions, letting go of control, finding a shared vision, and examining the roadblocks to newer pastures of artistic achievement.
Eminent artist couple Mansur Rahi and Hajira Mansur inaugurated the exhibition with calculative words of praise and a few tips for the creative minds on how to grow as an artist and maintain originality in their creative vision and expression. Mansur Rahi said that art is a complex subject and cannot be analysed in simple words. Rahi did not comment on Ata’s poetry but about Faiza’s paintings on display, he said that Faiza’s present work is a transformation of graphic reality with a good balance. He said that it is very difficult to understand and present analytical view about creative work.
Jamal Shah, the director of Hunerkada College of Visual and Performing Arts, while welcoming the guests, said: “Though both artists have tried to complement each other through their respective mediums, but I would rather keep them apart as I have my reservations and believe that poetry and painting cannot be blended together.”
The paintings and poetry on display portray the repercussions of social injustice, economic inequality and suppression of marginalised segments of society, subtly initiating a dialogue with the artists’ souls and with their surroundings. Faiza Khan’s expressions on canvas question the intellectual suppression and injustices that confine a person, while Ata Turab’s poetry probes to the value of human life and emotions. The exhibition is unique in a way that it is based on collaboration of a painter with a poet. However, it’s interesting to note that poetry by Ata Turab do not illustrate Faiza’s paintings and neither the oil paintings and graphite drawings by Faiza illustrate Ata’s poetry. Both members of the creative community rather coexist side by side and give the viewer a chance to travel through emotional shifts that the collaboration of two mediums generates.
Sharing their thoughts with this scribe while answering a question, both Ata and Faiza said that they have used their own selected medium to express their concerns and aesthetic thinking and through the process, the two discovered that they were asking similar questions and coping with similar concerns. The two met in 2011 while Faiza was working with various art projects concerning social issues under the umbrella of her organisation Rastay, and Ata Turab being a fine poet and a TV anchor, carried great interest in social issues. The collaboration began after Faiza Khan’s painting exhibition in November 2011 that inspired them to have a professional collaboration with similar aspirations.
Ata’s words ‘Yahan hamari riazat bhi raigan hai turab, ye ahed ahdey tijarat hai kiya kaha jaye’ refers to the concerns of present chaos and turmoil in the society, while Faiza beautifully sketches the struggle of women trying to survive the discriminatory attitude and societal taboos. Addressing individuals and organisations, including policy makers, institutions, and members of civil society, media and research community, this symbiotic sobriety of artistry by Faiza and Ata seeks to provide beacons that can guide the course of those committed to fundamental human values.
Faiza Khan made a name for herself for her energetic paintings of socio-political and mostly female subjects. For this exhibition, however, she has also picked up a graphite pencil and explored the medium of drawing as a mode of expression.
Ata Turab’s words also hold strong content relating to socio-political issues, philosophy, romance and journey into simple yet refined emotions. One finds Ata’s poetry an absolute long narrative, where your characters in words tease and engage, multiply and divide, arrest and surrender, probe and explore, love and hate, redeem and sin, live and die — but, always breathe, creating a sense of extinguishing the inner climate of mind and soul. He captures the horrors, glories, mundane existence, confrontations, demons, consequences, and what it is to be alive in a world full of facades that we human beings are classified to follow whether we agree or disagree.
Ata Turab and Faiza Khan have used the powerful tool of art to see the transparent cuts in the society that wound the whole structure. Both artists hold strong statement regarding the lack of art and creativity, which gives a nurturing soil for extreme ideas. Through their shared vision, both send a message to the world that through art, we can introduce catharsis of chaos, not only for the artist, who creates that art, but also for the viewer who connects with it.
Poetry mingles with art at Hunerkada
Thursday, March 15, 2012
JONAID IQBAL
ISLAMABAD — There were two forms in the exhibition “Inception of an echo” at the Hunerkada Arts Academy Wednesday.
Faiza Khan, who did graduation in fine arts both from the Punjab and Oklahoma Universities, has painted 43 panels expressing her appreciation and views on motherhood.
The other partner Ata Turab has provided versified commentaries for each panel. The verses are his own and are a mix of art and poetry.
Pakistan’s foremost cubist painter Mansur Rahi inaugurated the exhibition. A big throng came to the event but participation of the young generation was conspicuous.
The opening ceremony was held up for over an hour for Information Minister Firdaus Ashiq Awan. It was said that she promised Faiza Khan to open the art show.
Nevertheless, young Faiza Khan earned a lot of kudos for the work she had done for the International Women’s Day since this exhibition is part of the celebrations of the day.
She earned a lot of praise from Mansur Rahi who talked to Dateline about Faiza’s art. “Synthesis has entered her cubist design and has presented a plain flat in the tradition of John Matt, an American sculptor from Virginia, who has done a lot of work for the Association of Crippled and Disabled,” Rahi said.
In addition, the artists received many compliments from other painters on the opening evening, especially from Jamal Shah, Director of the Hunerkada Arts Academy, who hoisted the ort exhibition.
“She is a young talented artist, and we invited her to exhibit her work mainly for this reason,” Shah told this scribe. A miniaturist painter Najam Kazmi praised Faiza’s work immensely.
Water colourist Altaf Ahmad liked the painter’s flamboyant colours.
Appreciation flowed incessantly from young artists, especially Atya who went gaga over Faiza’s pigments that she had used with style and decorously to link companionship between a mother and her children.
There was a personal quotient also: Faiza has two daughters. Both take interest in art.
They have also received awards for their efforts even though the two children are still very young.
We may also describe it as an enriched triangle, especially since Faiza’s mother Shirin Ayub has been a painter too.
The lady, present at her daughter’s art show, was delighted to see the daughter maturing into an established painter. She was glad that the daughter is the recipient of appreciation from all and sundry.
That said, Faiza’s art was about protest. Pieces became more heightened with pungent verses that Ata Turab’s pungent observations pasted astride each piece of painting.
Nazia, a visitor, talked loudly about a piece that showed three women and the figure of baby holding three cactus leaves. Nazia said the picture is depressing, because all three on the canvas were sisters who hate each other.
Moreover, as is the wont of elite society women, they neglect raising their children.
However, Jamal Shah gave the right to Faiza to protest. Faiza herself explained, “pictures aim at restoring the natural balance in the society which had lost its sublime value and good traits, especially during the present days.”
The art panel which looked depressing to Nazia, proved the most admired painting in the exhibition.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
JONAID IQBAL
ISLAMABAD — There were two forms in the exhibition “Inception of an echo” at the Hunerkada Arts Academy Wednesday.
Faiza Khan, who did graduation in fine arts both from the Punjab and Oklahoma Universities, has painted 43 panels expressing her appreciation and views on motherhood.
The other partner Ata Turab has provided versified commentaries for each panel. The verses are his own and are a mix of art and poetry.
Pakistan’s foremost cubist painter Mansur Rahi inaugurated the exhibition. A big throng came to the event but participation of the young generation was conspicuous.
The opening ceremony was held up for over an hour for Information Minister Firdaus Ashiq Awan. It was said that she promised Faiza Khan to open the art show.
Nevertheless, young Faiza Khan earned a lot of kudos for the work she had done for the International Women’s Day since this exhibition is part of the celebrations of the day.
She earned a lot of praise from Mansur Rahi who talked to Dateline about Faiza’s art. “Synthesis has entered her cubist design and has presented a plain flat in the tradition of John Matt, an American sculptor from Virginia, who has done a lot of work for the Association of Crippled and Disabled,” Rahi said.
In addition, the artists received many compliments from other painters on the opening evening, especially from Jamal Shah, Director of the Hunerkada Arts Academy, who hoisted the ort exhibition.
“She is a young talented artist, and we invited her to exhibit her work mainly for this reason,” Shah told this scribe. A miniaturist painter Najam Kazmi praised Faiza’s work immensely.
Water colourist Altaf Ahmad liked the painter’s flamboyant colours.
Appreciation flowed incessantly from young artists, especially Atya who went gaga over Faiza’s pigments that she had used with style and decorously to link companionship between a mother and her children.
There was a personal quotient also: Faiza has two daughters. Both take interest in art.
They have also received awards for their efforts even though the two children are still very young.
We may also describe it as an enriched triangle, especially since Faiza’s mother Shirin Ayub has been a painter too.
The lady, present at her daughter’s art show, was delighted to see the daughter maturing into an established painter. She was glad that the daughter is the recipient of appreciation from all and sundry.
That said, Faiza’s art was about protest. Pieces became more heightened with pungent verses that Ata Turab’s pungent observations pasted astride each piece of painting.
Nazia, a visitor, talked loudly about a piece that showed three women and the figure of baby holding three cactus leaves. Nazia said the picture is depressing, because all three on the canvas were sisters who hate each other.
Moreover, as is the wont of elite society women, they neglect raising their children.
However, Jamal Shah gave the right to Faiza to protest. Faiza herself explained, “pictures aim at restoring the natural balance in the society which had lost its sublime value and good traits, especially during the present days.”
The art panel which looked depressing to Nazia, proved the most admired painting in the exhibition.
Painting and Poetry echoes Social issues
Saturday, March 17, 2012, Rabi-ul-Sani 23, 1433
Sana Jamal
Islamabad—Artists, since time immemorial, have been employing diverse forms of expression to communicate, but most do it through poetry and painting. In Islamabad, two artists have dared to combine both, word and imagery, at one art exhibition, to introduce a different perspective for the art lovers and to alter general perception that art exhibitions are dull.
The exhibition, that opened at Hunerkada Art Gallery on Wednesday, is based on collaboration of a painter with a poet. The exhibition titled ‘Inception of an Echo’ features contains oil paintings and graphite drawings by Faiza Khan and poetry by Ata Turab. As Faiza Khan’s expressions on canvas question the intellectual suppression and injustices that incarcerate a person, artist Ata Turab’s poetry explore the value of human life and emotions. The artworks subtly initiate a dialogue on the implications of social injustice, economic inequality and suppression of marginalised segments of society.
“Painting is silent poetry, and poetry painting that speaks.” This expression comes into mind of the viewers at once. Although the poems do not describe paintings and neither do the paintings illustrate poetry, but rather coexist side by side, allowing the viewer a chance to travel through emotional shifts that the collaboration of two media generates as Faiza Khan exhibits her paintings and drawings and Ata Turab shares his dynamic poetry.
Saturday, March 17, 2012, Rabi-ul-Sani 23, 1433
Sana Jamal
Islamabad—Artists, since time immemorial, have been employing diverse forms of expression to communicate, but most do it through poetry and painting. In Islamabad, two artists have dared to combine both, word and imagery, at one art exhibition, to introduce a different perspective for the art lovers and to alter general perception that art exhibitions are dull.
The exhibition, that opened at Hunerkada Art Gallery on Wednesday, is based on collaboration of a painter with a poet. The exhibition titled ‘Inception of an Echo’ features contains oil paintings and graphite drawings by Faiza Khan and poetry by Ata Turab. As Faiza Khan’s expressions on canvas question the intellectual suppression and injustices that incarcerate a person, artist Ata Turab’s poetry explore the value of human life and emotions. The artworks subtly initiate a dialogue on the implications of social injustice, economic inequality and suppression of marginalised segments of society.
“Painting is silent poetry, and poetry painting that speaks.” This expression comes into mind of the viewers at once. Although the poems do not describe paintings and neither do the paintings illustrate poetry, but rather coexist side by side, allowing the viewer a chance to travel through emotional shifts that the collaboration of two media generates as Faiza Khan exhibits her paintings and drawings and Ata Turab shares his dynamic poetry.