The ever-enchanting Fountain Courtyard at Lahore’s National College of Arts (NCA) came alive recently with a host of stars from the art world of Pakistan. The exhibition, Mera Safar (My Journey), brought together many distinguished teachers and students, giving them a unique opportunity to acknowledge the significance of their long-term relationship.

Curated by Noorjehan Bilgrami and Mohammad Zeeshan, Mera Safar engaged 16 artists, all of whom could trace their roots to Sindh. In addition, and perhaps more importantly, was their common affiliation to the NCA. The raison d’etre of this endeavour was the curators’ quest to document “the connection between artists that shared the tradition, culture and soil of Sindh”, and also to celebrate the “revered ustaad-shagird relationship.”

Abdul Jabbar Gul, Aqeel Solangi, Ayaz Jhokio, Imran Channa, Imran Qureshi, Irfan Gul Dahiri, Maryam Saleem, Muhammad Ali Talpur, Munawar Ali Syed, Mussarat Mirza, Naveed Sadiq, Noor Ali Chagani, Raj Kumar, Rehana Mangi, R.M. Naeem and Waseem Ahmed were the “inspirational artists” whose works had also been showcased earlier at Bilgrami’s Koel Gallery in Karachi in March 2019. Bringing the exhibition to the Zahoorul Akhlaq Gallery at the NCA was one of the curators’ important goals, as it was the “logical destination” in each of the artist’s life journey.

The 32 artworks on display were considerably diverse in terms of mediums and ideas. From Jhokio’s utterly subtle and unique use of dust as a medium on canvas, or the monochrome minimalism of Channa and Talpur, to the overtly rich and colourful mixed media canvas of Ahmed, the visually mesmerising painting of Solangi, and the surreal imagery of Naeem, there was much to savour.

It was mostly a painterly or two-dimensional endeavour, with the exception of one installation, created by Saleem, though here too, a painted surface was the focal point.

Even more than the representative artworks on display, it was the dialogue session with artist/teacher Quddus Mirza which gave meaningful insights. The ensuing narratives were further elaborated through the artists’ biographies in their own words, in a publication brought together by independent art writer and critic Nimra Khan and edited by Tehmina Ahmed. This special effort has preserved, for posterity, the essence of the life experiences and thought processes of each of the aforementioned participants.

The past and present converge in the dialogue created by Mera Safar

Memories from childhood shared by the artists were particularly informative and interesting. Jabbar Gul, from Mirpurkhas, recalled how he took great pains as a schoolboy to beautify his school books with coloured pens and his teachers would “show them off” to the entire class. This appreciation encouraged him in developing an aesthetic sense at an early age.

Interestingly, Syed and Sadiq, both from Hyderabad, individually described how they spent time doodling in class, but instead of being castigated for this, were referred to the Iranian Cultural Centre in Hyderabad to learn drawing, and then later found their way to the NCA.

Chagani fondly remembers a teacher from his school days who gave him watercolours when she saw his interest in drawing and painting. It was her praise and appreciation that became a catalyst for his decision to seriously pursue art as a profession and eventually join the NCA.

Kumar, a native of Tharpakar, acknowledged how he first learnt drawing from ‘Ustaad’ Babar Azeemi, a local signboard painter and artist, who ensured that his own unfulfilled dream of studying at the NCA could materialise through his student.

Qureshi highlighted the role of his father in giving him the confidence to pursue a career in the arts, as opposed to the more conventional options. Saleem fondly remembered her mother’s unflinching support for her artistic endeavours, including her “fiascos”, and Mangi shared enchanting tales of her life in Naudero and Larkana, where the local crafts fascinated her and how she learnt whatever she could The role of mentors seems to be an important one in the life of most of the artists. This brings home the fact that, while talent, hard work and resilience do indeed play their part in success, the guidance or inspiration from a perceptive and benevolent ‘ustaad’ can pave the way for an illustrious direction.

One of the many endearing stories was of Solangi from Rajanpur, who started off as a signboard painter in Khairpur. When artist Mussarat Mirza opened her studio in Sukkur, he took the initiative to become her student and it was her vision and guidance that landed him in the NCA.

One may sum up with a quote from artist Dahiri’s narration, “… while institutions provide information and techniques ... only a true mentor can help you transform that knowledge into wisdom, and eventually into a way of life.”

“Mera Safar” is being exhibited at National College of Arts in Lahore from November 5, 2020 till November 19, 2020

Published in Dawn, EOS, November 15th, 2020