Talat Dabir's hands are busy in moulding clay, giving shape to the images carve in her mind for more than four decades. At her home's basement-studio in Lahore forms and figures appear in clay and terracotta giving life to intangible but vigorous thoughts. She touches every aspect of life through her art and makes it feel the same way the viewers.
She carves more universal feelings and concepts, rather than objects that go beyond representational images. Her sculptures and reliefs speak volumes about social issues. Every sculpture is an adventure in the search for truth and beauty through the use of different medium and different approach. It is not just what the eye sees, but what the soul senses.
Having a Bachelors Degree in Fine Arts from National College of Arts, Lahore in 1969, she finds sculpture as an appropriate medium to communicate with others. She is one of Pakistan's most distinguished sculpture artists. Her recent body of work entitled "Iss Matti Kay loog" is a result of a traumatic incident. She said, "I had fractured my leg and was bed ridden - This state of inactivity reignited the creative spark in me."
The three dimensional compositions laid with birds, animals, arches, trees and flowers elegantly interposed with human figures having contemporary perspective in terracotta assembled sculptures and wall reliefs by Talat Dabir at Artscene Gallery, Karachi was an unforgettable experience for the visitors.
The figures juxtaposed with the architectural elements filling spaces with ornaments and other organic forms. The basic concept of her artworks lies in the mystics of our land. The stories are woven around social infrastructure and human psyche. She captures her feelings in form of sculptures. All of her works are subject oriented drawing attention of the public towards an issue and help them carving their views about that issue.
Her sculptures draped in traditional values depicting challenges faced by people due to natural calamities. Some of the work show homeless flood victims in rows bearing the sufferings collectively. Traces of flowers, trees and fruits are the positive side of life as the victims must not loose hope, there is still some thing left for them in to this world to go on.
"I just want to give a beautiful form to the experiences in life -the nostalgia associated with them and the emotive content. All these aspects are intangible but very potent," said Talat while commenting on her works. The dramatic appearance of the artworks engages the views who try to understand the message hidden in the figures and spaces between clay and terracotta moulds.
The deep concepts related to human lives evolve into these fine structures reflecting various perspectives in a limited space through lines and figures. The clay in her hand moulds in historical events, architectural feats, nature and human evolution.
Some of the works produce illusions like fairy tales, beautiful and eye catching. Talat's imagination and sensitivity give clay different shapes of life. Each art piece portrays emotions and passion. Her primary objective is to highlight human condition through sculptures.
The detail of her sculptures is commendable and speaks volumes about her artistic skills. Engaged and involved in creative work producing sculptures she is actually transforming herself in these art pieces. At present she is Associate Professor, Department of Fine Arts, National College of Arts, Lahore and is associated with the NCA since 1977. She has many solo and group shows to her credit.
She made many sculptures to commemorate historical events. Many of her sculptures and murals are intended as public art, exhibited outdoors or in public buildings for the common man such as a mural at the international lounge of the Allama Iqbal International Airport, while her other works adorn the Presidency, State Bank and Parliament House. She has also won several awards, including Representative of Pakistan at the third International Ceramic Biennale in Cairo, Egypt.
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