August 14, 2004

Bibigul discovers a throbbing new art school that has come up in Lahore’s historical district of Bhati Gate. The emphasis here is on preserving the city’s tradition of artisan- and craftsmanship, with a blend of modern art teaching, including painting, sculpture and ceramics. The school’s non-commercial fee structure is attracting a good number of students...

In his Lahore ka Dabistaan-i-Mussaviri, Mohammed Abdur Rehman Chughtai narrates that ‘During the Sikh period, the population of Lahore comprised of Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims; the population multiplied by leaps and bounds, the city had been devastated and then re-established, but many mohallas are still known by the names of artists and artisans: Kucha-i-Mussaviraan (painters), Mohalla-i-Naqashaan, Kucha-i-Khatataan (calligraph- artists), Haveli-i-Naqashaan (artists), and so many more, with the residents having passed away decades ago.

‘This is an attribute of the Lahore city alone, not other cities like Agra, Delhi and Lucknow. The largest centre for artists and art activity inside the walled city was Gumti Bazaar, the area around it housed the rich sardars and ministers. Such residents and the Lahore fort, where Maharaja Ranjeet Singh held court, was close at hand; during the Sikh period Muslim calligraph-artists were in the majority.’

Faqir Saifuddin, director of the Faqir Khana Museum says that the historical Bhati Gate area enclosed was from Hazrat Ali Hajveri’s (Data Gunj Bakhsh) shrine to the Hazoori Bagh and the Badshahi Masjid. The main artery running through the stretch is called Bazaar-i-Hakeemaan (the learned, including physicians). It also means ‘hunar mandon ka bazaar’(craftsmen and artisans), holding an answer to all queries or dilemmas, not just health.

The residents of the Taxali and Masti gates, all own up to Bhati and are proud to be called inhabitants from Tibbi (high ground). If you look at all the other gates of Lahore, almost all of them have been commercialized, except for Bhati; the residents of this area will never let it be turned into a marketplace. Former chief minister Shahbaz Sharif vandalized the green belt to construct a market here, but that idea did not take off. The people of Bhati have a different temperament.

In the 19th century, when political turmoil in Delhi forced people to flee, many poets, writers and other distinguished people came and settled here. Lahore has a multi-cultural and multi-dimensional society; Lucknow has just the Urdu speaking people, Lahore has Pathans, Punjabis, the Urdu speaking, all living together. Like an artist must be exposed to Paris, a writer, it was expected, must have the ‘Lahore’ exposure.

There used to be gatherings of the literati. Famous poets would sit among the notables and get their poems and works critically appreciated. Among the many notables, who have been proud to be associated with ‘Bhati’, are Sir Shahabuddin, Dagh Dehlavi (who lived here after Delhi was ransacked), Syed Mohammed Latif, Rai Bahadur Mela Ram, the social worker, Maulana Zafar Ali Khan, Baray Ghulam Ali Khan, Dr Mohammed Hussain, Sir Mohammed Shafi, Sir Syed Maratab Ali, the Faqir family, Hakim Shahbaz Din, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Maulana Fazal Hussain, Maulana Jaunki... the list can go on.

Inside Bhati Gate, a few steps down Bazaar-i-Hakeemaan, is the Imambara Syeda Mubarak Begum. The road goes down to lead into a street that opens into the large expanse of the imambara courtyard. This has three graves on the premises and also houses the Naqsh School of Arts. The building is three-storey high with the ground floor for drawing and painting studio, the first floor, the sculpture studio and the basement housing the ceramics section.

The students are about forty in number, coming from middle and lower-middle class economic backgrounds (the fees is Rs200 a month) and the courses offered are extensive. A balance in art education is kept with a tilt to keep the traditional arts in a greater focus. The subjects taught here include drawing, painting, ceramics, sculpture, product designing, illustration, naqashi, calligraphy and design; each course has a three-year duration.

Rumi Sahib, the principal, informs: “The school being close to the imambara has to discontinue its classes during the ten days of Muharram. Students are then taken out to various historical sites like the Lahore Fort, Chauburji, Maryam Zamani and Wazir Khan mosques, etc. There they get a first-hand opportunity to observe the precision in line that comes from the height of a building, exact and strong; they take their time observing traditional motifs, their colour-schemes and the compositions.”

Thus inspired, the students create their own versions of what the original may have looked like centuries ago. The original ceramic is studied intensely and the students inspired to understand how small pieces are fired individually and then fitted into the larger design, the underlying idea being to popularize and authenticate ceramic and bring it on a par with painting. Colour must become a part of design its value delicately balanced, as perceived by the Mughal artists. Thus, the intellectual strength, tradition and a sense of identity prevails to inspire the art apprentices.

He continues, saying, “they are taught the basic colour-schemes on which khatati. It is very rare that drawing, painting and design are kept together in this. There are multiple taboos where sculpture or art in three dimensions is concerned. A simple explanation is that sculpture is drawing in the three dimensions and not in two. It is very important that sculpture is not confused with an image made for worshipping.”

The miniature and the khatati galleries stand a few steps away into the main street. These were established a couple of years ago, with the intention to coalesce naqashi with calligraphy — often the two are taught in isolation. The need is to combine the design development with drawing skills, with the belief that this will come naturally if the two are combined and developed simultaneously.

At the khatati gallery, the students are taught to work in the traditional method using takhti and the qalam. Extensive exercise of the line, modulating its thickness to make a meaning and keeping in mind a strong balance with design and colour are the beginning that these apprentices make to revive the strengths, and modernize this ancient art. The work of Ustad Atta Mohammed, a teacher at the former Mayo School of Arts is given to the students as an exercise to develop their own design in naqashi, keeping in mind the balance, value and rhythm of the Ustad’s dexterity.

At the miniature gallery, the making of the wasli is an important step for the learner to indulge in the age-old skill of Mughal painting. This, along with rigorous training, has been able to mould the students’ skill to a level that the work displayed on the walls is for sale, though the asking prices are nominal. Yet, the work is analogous to the student work at the NCA and Punjab University and other better known art institutions. Ustad Shakeel Ahmed also displays his work besides his students’; all this encourages the concept of this skill being a possible career too.

Interestingly, just as one enters the hall, there is a bit of high ground, that is tiled with marble and a white wooden fence stands as a border. On inquiring, one found a tombstone identifying this as the grave of Hakeem Khuda Bukhsh. Naqsh Lahore Gallery is housed in a small portion of businessman Syed Babar Ali’s ancestral home. Artists are encouraged to display paintings that revolve round the city of Lahore as subject matter.

Architect and gallery-owner Nayyar Ali Dada had these thoughts to share: Hakim Ahmed Shuja called Bhati Gate the ‘Chelsea of Lahore’. There used to be a ‘dastkaari’ school in this area. Naqsh school has been set up for the population housed within the walled city of Lahore. This is a concerted effort in preserving the atmosphere and continuing with traditional art, and is a step towards maintaining the character of the area, keeping the culture and spirit intact. In other instances one can see how architectural characteristics have been levelled with brick and mortar. The haveli housing the school has been restored, and given a function to the attached building. As long as the influential keep visiting the walled city and take an interest, the original Lahore can and will be revived. I have seen the students’ work, both in miniature and calligraphy, and immediately bought a few. I intend to get more of these exhibited at the Nairang gallery too, so these artists fetch a good price for their work.

There is more to Lahore than just its art and artists. There are buildings, people, the warmth, those who think, read, write and share with others a celebration of life; a civilized society takes care of all these refined aspects of life.