KARACHI, Aug 28: In an exhibition of sculptures held on Thursday titled ‘Simply Paper’ at the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture, 17 leading as well as upcoming contemporary sculptors and installation artists presented paper sculptures using a diverse approach to the form.

Most of the artists had not worked with paper previously. The challenge presented to these artists was to use paper and communicate directly through the three-dimensional realm of sculpture. “Paper in the form of sculpture contorts and changes. It evolves and shakes itself out of complacency of two-dimensional existence,” said Roohi Ahmad, the curator of the exhibition.

Sculptors through the ages have tried to produce works of art that are permanent, using expensive material such as bronze and marble. But for wider consumption ceramics and wood were used, which were less expensive. Modernist sculptors have experimented with forms such as tools, machine parts and brightly painted steel. Some modern sculpture forms are made outdoors before spectators, which is known as ‘performance art.’

This form is popular in China, Japan, Russia, Sweden and Canada.For the contemporary artists at the Indus Valley, the challenge was to give paper its own identity instead of being a commodity such as a book or newspaper and brought to life through volume such as a milk carton or a shopping bag. The result was diversity at its best, with the artists putting their sensibilities and meanings into their sculptures and coming up with unusual ideas.

Rifat Alvi, a curator herself, said: “The subject is very innovative. We hesitate in writing down our thoughts, the truth; in this exhibition the paper is doing its talking through the sculptures.”

One item, named ‘Untitled,’ was named thus as the sculptor Aliya Yousuf wanted to convey that people see what they are made to see and don’t make an effort to understand things. Another popular sculpture was by Abdullah Syed, who is doing his PhD in Australia in Installation Art.

He had clipped dollars together, which roused a lot of interest in the visitors. When asked what exactly Installation Art was, Syed explained that it means any object that is viewed and commented on and has active participation from the audience, otherwise it is just like any sculpture.

Farah Jamaluddin’s ‘Cocoon’ presented the concept of growth and metamorphosis. Asad Hussain’s ‘Kaghaz Perahen,’ which depicted the importance of paper in people’s lives, and Roohi Ahmad’s ‘The New World Order,’ which depicted the present international scene, were also very interesting.