LAHORE: An exhibition titled ‘Aaj Key Naam’ of photographs based on common people and their daily life by four photographers opened at the Alhamra Art Gallery here on Wednesday.

A joint statement by the four photographers – Abdul Waris Hameed, Ghazanfar Bhinder, Muhamamd Saeed Rao and Syed Israr Haider – says: “We, the four common men, had an objective while conceiving the idea of ‘Aaj ke Naam’ to connect some of the dots that make us interacting and living social beings in magnum opus of time.”

“In a quest for exploring the social fabric and sensitivity intertwined with persona of everyone amongst us , our social exposures turned out to be reflections and images displayed on the walls of The Gallery,” the artists said.

They say they collectively believe in the idea that cult or dogma based on any denominator does necessarily need reflection, exposure and highlights. The images came up from lucidity to obscurity in the life of ordinary man, mirth to pain of all the folks, dejected and related personas, carefree street kids and bread-winning exhausted labourers in their moment of existing. The streak running all through their work is dignity and victory of hope over despair.

The photographs belong to different areas of the country such as Balochistan, Thar and Punjab.

The exhibition will remain open till Dec 3.

Published in Dawn, December 2nd, 2021