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August 06, 2006
Been there, done what?
JUDGING by the popularity of the creative arts, with more students applying to more art schools in the country, it seems apt that this week we speak to Sheherbano Hussain, a full-time artist who has shown her work both in solo and group exhibitions, is an art critic, curator and also teaches the subject.
Q: When did you know you wanted to be an artist or study art?
A: At the risk of sounding clichéd, I always knew I wanted to be an artist. As a child, I was a bit of a recluse, given to bouts of day dreaming, scribbling and sketching in textbooks during monotonous lessons. The only classes that found me animated and alive were those that sparked my imagination, particularly the art class.
Q: What were art classes like at school?
A: It depended on the teacher. When I was in class one, the art teacher actually scolded me and gave me bad grades because I preferred to paint the sky red or purple unlike the other kids who stuck to blue! The only thing that kept me going in that class was my love for drawing. However, it was uphill from then on — we had the artist, Naheed Raza from class two onwards and Nayyar Jamil in the senior section. For my A-Levels, I opted to study art privately with Nayyar Jamil.
Q: It’s an “unusual” degree/profession to pursue; did you have to convince your family to let you study art?
A: There was a short phase after my O-Levels when I actually considered pursuing a degree in Economics; I had an aptitude for the subject and my father was very keen that I study at the London School of Economics or some such institution. However, thanks to the encouragement of my fantastic art teacher, Nayyar Jamil (who taught me both O- and A-Level Art) and the late artist and gallery owner, Ali Imam (who even spoke to my parents at a student art competition, where he was the judge and insisted that I be sent to art school), I stuck to my guns.
Q: You chose Indus Valley at a time when it had just started; why?
A: Initially I wanted to go to the National College of Arts, Lahore, which had been around for a long time and had a very good reputation. However, there were still six months to go after my A-Levels for the entrance test. Meanwhile, the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture (IVSAA) had been set up in Karachi by a group of renowned artists and architects. So my mother suggested that I take their admissions test and give the school a shot until I waited for the NCA exam. I got in, and after spending a few months there, I decided to stay on — the faculty was great and the student body extremely diverse.
Q: After graduating from IVSSA, what career options did you explore? Given that there’s no monthly salary, what kind of pressures do you face? Do you ever feel the pressure of getting a job?
A: After graduating from art school, funding becomes a vital concern, not just to meet personal expenses but also to carry on making art. While there are plenty of grants and funds for deserving artists abroad, artists here are pretty much left to their own devices. As an independent artist, who chose not to be linked with any group or clique, I had to take the long road to arrive where I am today.
In addition to being a full time artist, I’ve done everything from illustration projects with the Book Group, voiceovers for documentaries and editorial work for several publications, (until I finally started writing for a monthly magazine on a regular basis, as an art critic) to teaching at Indus Valley, Karachi University and even an incredibly stupid school, which I shall not name. I even worked as a publications executive for a very brief period.
My exposure to Pakistani art, as an art critic got me interested in curatorial work. As an artist, I felt the need to bridge the wide gap that exists between audiences and artists. Curating a show accompanied by a publication seemed to be the way to go. Earlier this year, I co-curated two exhibitions with the sculptor, Amin Gulgee, featuring 34 artists (all media) from all over the country. The catalogues for both shows were sponsored by the Oxford University Press.
Q: What prompted you to start teaching? What have your teaching experiences been like? What advice do you give to students wanting to become full time artists?
A: I am currently teaching an interdisciplinary theory class at Indus Valley called, “Art and Society”. After graduation, I was invited by the Indus Valley School to teach foundation year drawing — since then, from time to time, I have taught different courses at the college, on a part-time basis. I also taught painting to thesis students at the University of Karachi for a year; it was a great experience, but the long commute made it difficult for me to continue teaching there.
The current class I’m teaching is ideal for someone like me; it does not demand as much time as a studio class and gives me the opportunity to brush up on my reading. Also, I prefer teaching mature, college students as opposed to school going adolescents. However, this has less to do with the students and more to do with the narrow, asinine approach that most schools have towards art education. Having taught at one such school, I don’t think I could ever go through with it again.
Critical thought is central to all creative fields. Therefore, I would only advice strong, self-motivated individuals to pursue art as a career, because you have to create your own pathways, unlike most professions where you follow a set pattern/system.
Q: Given the world we live in today, and knowing what you know, what would you have done differently if you had to do it all over again?
A: I sometimes regret goofing off in my O-Levels — though I got pretty good grades for the time, I know I could have done a lot better if I’d only studied, in which case I might have gotten funding from some super expensive art college abroad.
Q: Do you have a desire to go back to school for further studies?
A: I did do a semester of study in Metaphysics, after graduating from Indus Valley, from Texas A&M in USA. I wanted to join a discussion group and study the subject informally, without the pressure of grades, or merely for the sake of procuring a diploma or certificate. I don’t know if I will go to graduate school; the desire is there, but I usually remain so busy with various projects that I never really find the time to explore this option.
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