For some years the concept of art residencies has emerged in our country. These residence programmes are aimed to further groom the talent of participating artists and bring a change in our art scene in accordance with the art world.
Visiting residence programme of Sanat Initiative and meeting the participating artists was a pleasant experience. Invited by Abid Merchant, the initiator of the Sanat Initiative this writer visited the residence occasionally during the programme. Seven artists coming from a diversity of backgrounds and artistic practices participated from all over Pakistan; Abid Aslam from Lahore, Arsalan Nasir from Karachi, Ghulam Mohammad from Kachi, Kiran Saleem from Faisalabad, Rohail Ghouri from Tando Jam, Sajid Khan from Malakand, and Zahra Asim from Lahore.
Many different ideas take shapes on new and distinct mediums. Hence the relationship between artists and society is not only in the resulting work, but in the working itself. The artworks not only show their skills, but their intuition, emotions, reacting and interacting with the pressures of life, their struggle, progress and advancements of the time they are living in and they have lived. The resulting work is the reflection of both past and present. The residence programme has given a platform to the artists to experiment and create innovative art.
Talking about their work artists were much excited. The artistic dialogue taking place among artists helps them understand and recognise new ways of viewing a single subject. After seeing different angles they explore new ideas and gain confidence. These artists spent time away from their homes and daily routines confronted with a diversity of opinions and approaches from other artists creating a pool of ideas. The new refreshing environment of Sanat Residence having cool breeze of the sea and the scenic view of the blue waves also contribute to the inventive and imaginative ideas.
The residency proved conducive to creative experimentation, learning, research, and artistic exploration of these artists. The artworks that are created in result of this residence programme exhibited at Sanat Gallery, Karachi under the title "Incubator" curated by visual artist Muhammad Zeeshan. The artists work together and work next to one another and therefore become a part of one another's artistic process. Their artworks are a result of cooperation, collaboration, and community- values cultivating creativity.
A resident of Karachi Arsalan Nasir is a distinction holder, who completed his bachelors programme in Fine Arts from Dept. of Visual Studies, Karachi University. His works includes Drawing, Painting, Sculpture, Printmaking, Installations and New Media, which makes him a multi-disciplinary artist. His works titled "Lifafay" and "Seascapes" in mix-media are a good depiction of his thought process. Rohail Ghouri lives in Tando Jam, a graduate from the Center of Excellence in Art and Design (CEAD) Jamshoro. Being a miniature artist his practice includes intense line drawing and gouaches of selective colours. He shows the urban and rural visuals in his paintings which are usually untitled present the life mainly in grey colour.
Being a miniature artist making portraits that fit within a single eyelet Abid Aslam reflects on his surroundings and realities Abid belongs to Lahore, he completed his bachelor degree from Hunerkada College of Visual and Performing Arts. Reconstruct language, from a mass of written text, to a web of intermingled surfaces Ghulam Mohammad tried to explore the relationship between language and identity in a cultural, historical and contemporary context. For his recent paintings titled "Daira-e-Kaar" and Munfi wa Musbat" he carves out tiny words out of books, making the text indecipherable again. Ghulam Mohammad is a visual artist, a native of Kachi, Baluchistan. He graduated on Scholarship of UMISA in B.FA from the Beacon House National University Lahore.
Zahra Asim, a fresh graduate from National College of Arts, Lahore, presents snapshots of the ordinary yet crowded interiors of personal spaces.In her recent work she describes the congested spaces or places with her small overcrowded paintings. Her paintings titled "Difference" in oil on wood truly depict a small household in a congested environment. Kiran Saleem a resident of Faisalabad graduated from College of Art & Design, GC University Faisalabad, continuing with MA Honors in Visual Art from NCA Lahore. She expresses her talent through sculptures and video installations. She creates illusionary sculptures, delusions and altered perceptions of reality. Her recent work untitled derives from the space she is in, and investigates the real and nonexistent.
Sajid Khan born in Malakand is a graduate in Miniature painting from National College of Arts, Lahore, shares his observations and experiences of life in Palai, outside Swat. Haunted by the innocent memories of the past and troubled memories of the present his paintings show clear skies and stars at night with floating clouds titled "A Wish" and "A Wated Wish". Thus reveals his feelings about wishes that do not come true.
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