KARACHI: As art matures in Pakistan artists seem to have taken on a certain measure of social responsibility and increasingly turned to social themes for their artworks – be it installations, paintings, sculptures or photography.

‘Mirror’, an exhibition of photographs by photojournalist Jalal Qureshi which got under way at the Arts Council of Karachi on Dec 3, showcases the photographer’s societal concerns and catalogues life in Karachi in all its glory and despair.

The photographs on display, over a hundred in number, are a selection from Qureshi’s repertoire and are bold in the statements they made.

Placed thematically, they throw light on the history of Karachi and document its various important events and issues.

In the photographs, one sees Qureshi’s obvious concern for the plight of the city’s thousands of impoverished children who are cast into the world of adulthood and who lose their innocence much too soon. Their poverty, want and despair and their manifestations have been effectively portrayed and affect even a casual observer.

The problems faced by women have also been powerfully documented. An illuminated photograph of a female construction worker, placed in the centre of the gallery, makes a strong statement about the roles women are forced to take on in this city in order to ensure survival.

Placed next to it and also illuminated is a striking bird’s eye view of Karachi by night which boldly states that despite all its predicaments, the city has managed to retain its distinctive charm and magnetism.

Also included in the exhibition are archival photos of world-renowned political figures like Nelson Mandela and Hasina Wajid, riots, protests, strikes as well as celebrations of various religious events, animals on the streets and action shots of sports stars.

Some photos highlight the heavy rains in Karachi in recent months and the ensuing misery that the common citizens had to suffer including a dramatic photograph of lightning before the rains.

The sincerity and earnestness of Qureshi’s photographs engage the viewers and force them to take notice of some of those stark realities of life in Karachi that people are either too busy to notice or too preoccupied to pay heed to.

They are also a welcome break from the over dramatised and digitally manipulated work so often being produced by the new crop of photographers in Pakistan.