KARACHI, Jan 14: An encaged parrot, a flock of pigeons about to take off, a young, sick girl with eyes bright as a button and a ladder that signified the resolve of a dispirited soul to be on his feet come what may were some of the pictures taken by tuberculosis patients, their families and treatment supporters at an exhibition titled Tasweer-i-Zindagi which opened on Saturday in the verdant lawn of the Indus Hospital.

The display of some 60 photographs and stories has been organised by the Indus Hospital as part of its effort to raise awareness about tuberculosis and help create a ‘supportive environment’ for the people affected by the disease.

Much to the pleasant surprise of many viewers, despite the fact that the photographs are taken by amateur artists (patients), some of the images have an aesthetic appeal to them. The 36-year-old Tasleem Anwar’s image of a ladder, even if the viewer misses its caption, is indicative of what symbol the ladder comes across as. The patient’s struggle to pick up the threads of life or go up and down its rocky path is effectively depicted in the picture.

Treatment supporter Azra Jawaid’s shot of a girl patient, who shies away from discussing her disease, with tablets in her hand is a story unto itself. As is MDR-TB patient Shabana Aas’s description of how the world treated her when she fell ill.

A low-angle grab by an unnamed patient of a duct through which the sky is visible is an image that no one can have a cursory look at. The viewer needs time to get the hang of it. It signifies emptiness caused by loneliness. But it is 36-year-old patient Mohammad Sharif’s picture of his son’s room which embodies most of the qualities of a professional photograph: the use of light, the play on colours and the space given to the rest of the objects in the room are just top-notch.

Zainab has recently successfully recovered from the disease. She is married to Nazir who paints houses. They have six children. Talking to Dawn Zainab looked happy. “It felt good when they asked us to take pictures and made me learn how to do that. When I was down with TB, it was one of the most difficult periods of my life. But my husband stood by me and the treatment also worked well. As for the picture I’ve taken, it also makes me feel good about myself,” said Zainab.

Zainab’s photograph has three of her children caught in a candid moment.

Talking to Dawn Research associate Sana Sajun said, “People try to categorise TB patients in a certain way which is why they feel isolated. The exhibition intends to give an insight into the lives of the patients. This will help others know better what the patients go through when they have TB. To familiarise them with the art of photography we had an orientation session and they learnt a few things through the photo-voice methodology.”Assistant Manager Communication and Resource Centre Indus Hospital Aaliya Rahim Bondrey said: “TB patients feel stigmatised by how others treat them. This exhibition will hopefully make people understand how they feel when it happens.”

This does ring true, because there’s a noticeable trajectory that the patients have created here. If the picture of a parrot in a cage by a treatment supporter Sonia Kandeel ‘represents our attitude though which we can get TB patients rise above their illness and low self-esteem,’ the picture of a beautiful young girl taken by her uncle Nasir Hussain who thinks he passed on the disease to his innocent niece brims with optimism. The girl’s eyes say it all: hope, health and happiness.

The exhibition will continue till Tuesday (Jan 17).