June 5, 2004

Sea View Beach was splendid. A luminous symphony of soothing greys from the crashing waves below to the gradient skies above. A day previously, a group of schoolchildren had taken on the task of cleaning up and smoothing the sand on the stretch of the beach and had done an impeccable job. The benches scattered around tempted the viewer to sit and observe the drama of the Arabian Sea; while away from the beach, a shamiana had been set up with all the paraphernalia of the ‘opening night’.

Gusts of wind played with the red satin drapery and clay pots decorating the podium; guests hung on to their whirling garments while the elements had their way. The auspicious occasion was the premier public viewing of a collection of sculpture by Anjum Ayaz, a permanent display of stone and metal pieces placed along the borders of the esplanades at Sea View.

With the sponsorship of the Defence Housing Authority, which made the project possible, nine carved stone and four metal assemblages had been placed approximated one hundred yards apart. Not aspiring to monumental forms, Ayaz has carved and moulded the forms to stand on strong pedestals, the total artworks measuring between three and five feet in height.

“I want people to walk around them, not to look up at them” said Ayaz and explained that the work was chemically treated to withstand the changing moods of nature. Ayaz has a considerable experience of outdoor sculpture in various countries including his own; there is a life size form carved in stone placed at the Azabu Shopping Centre, Tokyo, an 18-foot high marble sculpture in China; a 20-foot tall metallic sculpture, ‘Peace’ at Sharae Faisal, and there are also an extensive number of carved murals sited in Pakistan and abroad.

Among the many outdoor exhibitions of his work, a particularly attractive setting was that in ‘98, when a group of sculpted forms created an interesting walkway around the Frere Hall.

Historians tell us that stones in shapes pleasing to early man were collected by him and individualized by scratched markings. This before he learned to communicate with language. Unable to surpass the classic sculpture of ancient times, modern artists have developed a contemporary, free handed idiom in which multiple objects reflect upon contemporary society and its views.

Sculpture in Pakistan has been a largely neglected art through surprisingly; there are a number of artists working in the third dimension throughout the country. An exhibition of sculpture held in Lahore in 2002 was an eye-opener as sculpture in all media and sizes, many of international standards, filled the Alhamra Art Centre with enormous variety and panache.

Anjum Ayaz, who is also a very talented dramatist and actor, divides his time between stage-related and three-dimensional works. He joined the Karachi School of Art in 1966 after an extensive period spent working with Sadequain, who was a distant relative, and Ayaz relates, “a man obsessed by his muse”.

After graduation from the KSA in 1970, he struggled to throw off the influence of the renowned master artist, and eventually found his own, optimistic style. There is the occasional relapse by way of distorted hands and feet, but still recognizably the work of Ayaz.

The work placed at Sea View Beach is largely non-figurative with an occasional bird or fish form emerging. One finds a seal, a boat and traces of calligraphy. Because of the distance between the pieces, the overall collection holds less of an impact than some of the artist’s previous outdoor shows which, grouped together, made a celebratory statement, albeit temporary.

The DHA’s initiative is to be lauded as a great step forward in the appreciation of three-dimensional art, and a reason for optimism for sculptors throughout the country.