The White Turban, an art consultancy that helps promote Pakistani artists, focusing on diversity of local art in contemporary art world, started the New Year with a book launch of their first publication, the Artist’s Notebook, designed with tasteful inserts of images of works by contemporary Pakistani artists.

The launch was a selective event held at X2 Cultural Hub, Gulberg III, Lahore on Jan 15, 2015.

Salima Hashmi and Quddus Mirza started the event with their informal talk. The launch coincided with an art exhibition with works of renowned artists, Farida Batool, RM Naeem, Saba Khan, Fazal Rizvi, Noor Ali Chagani, Ghulam Muhammed, Humaira Abid and Sana Kazi.

The White Turban represents artists on different platforms; both locally and internationally. Less than a year since it was formed, the White Turban has gathered over 80 artists, assisted international art organisations to work with Pakistani artists and secured representation in international galleries.

TV drama producer and director Sultana Siddiqui has been bestowed The Gr8! Scroll of Honour (media) 2015 award at the Gr8! Women Awards 2015 for her achievements in the field of entertainment. Organised by the Indian Television Academy as part of the 20th anniversary celebrations of the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF), The Gr8! Women Awards is recognised across the Middle East as a platform to celebrate exemplary women.

The awards ceremony held at Sofitel Dubai, The Palm Resort & Spa, had dignitaries, industry leaders, corporate heads, entrepreneurs and Bollywood luminaries.

While receiving the award, Sultana Siddiqui said, “It is an honour and very humbling for me to be selected by the Indian Television Academy for this prestigious award as this is the first time that I have been recognized in this way by an organisation outside Pakistan. I think women in Pakistan are brilliant in whatever they choose to do and very hard-working. All they need is encouragement and support from their family”.

Published in Dawn January 18th , 2015

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