ISLAMABAD, Jan 6: Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider on Sunday called for providing patronage to the upcoming artists and artisans for the promotion and perpetuation of nation’s rich cultural and art heritage.

He was inaugurating the first Sunday art bazaar outside the main building of Pakistan National Art Gallery. The event jointly organized by the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) and the CDA would be a regular weekly affair.

In all, 35 amateur artists and craftsmen had put up their stalls decorated with paintings, drawings, miniatures and prints. Some amateur photographers had also displayed their works. The art fans had assembled at the venue in quite large numbers.

The interior minister, speaking on the occasion, urged the PNCA and the CDA to prepare joint calendar of events to promote culture in the area. About the art bazaar, he said it was the start of a novel tradition. He stressed the need for building a balanced social structure in the city by arranging such events.

He said, “we are a nation of rich cultural heritage for being a home to glorious civilizations like Moenjodaro, Harrapa, Mehrgarh, Taxila and Gandhara”. All these civilizations, he added, left a strong treasure of values based on principles of peace, progress and prosperity.

Mr Haider lauded the persistent endeavours of senior and young artists for their intellectual linkage with indigenous cultural heritage. He said, “our artists have made tremendous contributions towards introducing the real portrait of Pakistan’s peace-loving people at home and abroad. Our poetry, paintings, architecture, folklore and literature are the most effective, exponents of people’s aspirations, their collective psyche and aesthetics”.

He further called for decorating the buildings of private sector with art pieces, and asked the PNCA and CDA to launch a coordinated effort to this end.

Earlier, the minister, accompanied by the CDA chairman and the PNCA director general, visited the bazaar. He also bought some of the paintings and appreciated the artists their efforts.

There was a great variety of works done in water colours, oils, acrylics and prints. Landscapes, abstracts and portraits dominated the art bazaar scene.

The PNCA had set up its own stall, that displayed books and profiles on some of the leading artists produced by it over the years. Another feature of the stall was paintings done by PNCA director general Raja Changez Sultan; his sister, Farhat; his daughter, Sara; Misbahuddin Qazi; and Akbar Ismail.

Pakistan Language Authority had also set up its book stall on the occasion. About eight students of Fatima Jinnah Women University had displayed designs, prints, photographs, water colour and oil paintings.

Among the artists, the works done by miniaturist, Farrah Mehmood, showed modernity in her approach. For the last one year, she has done work that represents new trends in her particular field of interest.

Several diplomats had also felt drawn to the Sunday Art Bazaar. According to the PNCA officials, the sales on the day were quite satisfactory. The prices of art works ranged from Rs150 to Rs10,000 each. Some of the paintings even carried the price tag of Rs50,000. A Council official said four paintings, carrying price-tags of Rs10,000 each, were sold at the bazaar.

The artists who displayed their work at the Sunday art bazaar included Iqbal Lateefi, Asad Ali, Zaheer Bakhshi, Lubna Irshad, Parvez Khan, Abdul Waheed, Aziza Hayat, Riazat Hussain, Mst Anwar Jehan, Nadeem Ahmed Chughtai, Fayyaz Ahmed, Sameena Jamshed, Summiya Unis, Musaib Qureshi, Humaira Jamil, Ahmed Habib, Zaheer Ahmed, Ayesha Maqsood, Farrah Mahmood, Naveed Ahmed Bhatti, Abdul Rehman Tanbani, Nighat Chaudhry, Zahida Niazi, Husnain Malik, Ijaz, Shahbaz Anjum, Ali Haider, Aqeel Iqbal Jafery, Atiquah Abbasi, Sami, Riffat Khattak, Suriya Chaudhry, and Aurangzeb.