RAWALPINDI, Aug 21: The Fatima Jinnah University Vice-chancellor, Dr Najma Najam has stressed the students to prepare themselves for the future challenges and the competition in the international job markets while dealing with various professions.

She expressed these views while speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the exhibition of art works done by the Fine Arts Department students of Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU) on Thursday.

Dr Najma Najam asked the budding artists to utilize their energies for earning names in the international community.

The women university, she said, was trying its best to produce women of substance, who could boldly face challenges and earn a good name in the society. The vice-chancellor said she was proud that the university was playing a great role in producing skilled women in various fields including fine arts.

The calligraphies and paintings done by the students attracted a large number of art connoisseurs, art lovers and artists.

The works ranged from paintings, to paper-making to Islamic calligraphy.

The most pleasing feature of the event was the display of Islamic calligraphies done by 25 young artists who had been guided by the renowned calligraphist Rasheed Butt.

Mr Butt, who is also president of the Council of Calligraphers Pakistan, was confident about the genius of his disciples and said that he would take the works of some of the students to the forthcoming international competition to be organized in Turkey by the International Committee for Preservation of Islamic Art and Heritage.

In response to a query, Mr Butt said after 9/11 Muslims were returning to their identity and were showing more interest in Islamic calligraphy as a result of which the number of professionals in the field was increasing.

The amateurs seemed agile while executing the one, two, three and multiple-point perspective as well as different angles in their architectural drawings. They have also shown their metal while dealing with automobile drawings, displaying the traditionally decorated trucks with multiple colours and textures, inscribed with words of wisdom, poems and quotes.

The works of Amara Saeed, Munazza Brooj, Samina Nazir, Tahira, Sidra Yasmin, Umara, Amna, Rifat Gul, Saima Khalique, Asma Gul and Humaira Naz in paper-making genre received appreciation from art buffs, not only for their brilliance, but also for their sublime objective to preserve environment through the promotion of recycling process.

As many as 15 students belonging to the fine arts, MBA and MA English departments of the university, who had displayed their works, had been trained by Dr Anwar Jehan in the recycling of wheat straws, sugarcane waste, jute, pine needles, coconut fibre, paper mulberry bars, palm waste, trunks of banana trees, and Bronn Corton to name a few.

Through various techniques, most popular in Japan, the everyday disposed of items are decomposed for a few weeks and then converted into handmade papers, including waterproof ones.

The classical-coloured and durable hand-made papers have been used by the students for making various decoration pieces like post cards, small boxes, picture frames, wallets, engraved and decorated art pieces etc.

Dr Jehan stressed the need for creating awareness among masses about recycling of everyday waste and converting it into something precious and valuable.