ISLAMABAD: Revived after a 13-year hiatus, the 9th National Exhibition was held on Tuesday to pay tribute to some of the icons of the Pakistani art scene.

Held at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) the exhibition included the works of leading artists Mian Aijazul Hassan, Colin David, Saeed Akhter, Ahmed Khan, Bashir Ahmed, Iqbal Jafri, Mansoor Rahi, Hajra Mansoor and Zulqurnain Haider.

In addition to celebrating the artists, the exhibition also celebrated 70 years of independence and aimed to recognise contemporary artists.

“The PNCA received hundreds of entries from all over the country. Some 500 artworks have been selected for this National Exhibition. The criteria for selection was the talent and skill exhibited by the artists,” said Visual Arts Division Director Amna Pataudi.

She said the exhibition mapped the rich kaleidoscope of culture and ideas geographically. “We have tried to provide a platform for artists to engage in a dialogue with the nation,” Ms Pataudi said.

The display represents the land, life, people and cultural diversity of Pakistan, and the exhibited artists have used a broad spectrum of formats and techniques – including painting, sculpture, calligraphy, photography, miniature installations and videos.

Artist and critic Quddus Mirza said the fact that the exhibition was dedicated to the old masters was the best part. He was particularly drawn to the new contemporary impression on display by Mian Ijazul Hassan, who is a recipient of the President’s Award for Pride of Performance and one of the few mural painters of Pakistan.

Equally attractive works were contributed by renowned miniaturist Bashir Ahmed. In the main gallery hung the works of Saeed Akhtar who has numerous awards to his credit, including the Sitara-i-Imtiaz and the Pride of Performance.

Years of experimentation with chemicals and silver foil manipulated by Ahmed Khan’s expertise resulted in uniquely beautiful work. His name has been synonymous with the leading designers of Pakistan since the early 60s through 80s and his impressions can be found in the permanent collection of the National Art Gallery.

The work of Iqbal Geoffrey, a pioneer of post conceptual art process systems, was also on display, along with the works of Colin David.

Eminent landscape painter Zulqarnain Haider and cubist legends Mansoor Rahi and Hajra Mansoor, whose style is inspired by tradition combined with modern artistic sensibilities, were also exhibited in the show.

Appreciating the scale of the show, French artist Asadur Rehman said: “We have been given the opportunity to see some rare collections after more than a decade. The work of the masters is marvellous.”

PNCA Director General Jamal Shah said that contemporary art from Pakistan has lately witnessed a few significant international breakthroughs, which has put Pakistani art in a respectable and sought-after slot.

“This exhibition displays a highly diversified range of experimentation both in two dimensional work and other presentations, including sculpture and installation videos. It is hoped that the display will generate dialogue, discussion and creative discourse as the purpose of this show is to stimulate the artists’ mind, open new horizons and promote arts and culture through this national platform,” he said.

Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb announced the show open to visitors; it will run for a month.

Published in Dawn, December 20th, 2017