ISLAMABAD, Oct 31: An exhibition of paintings by Shahnaz Jafar Khan, portraying the pathetic condition of historic tombs, shrines the beauty of blue and aquamarine tiles works of Uch Sharif and old buildings of Rawalpindi done in water colours, opened at a private gallery in Islamabad on Sunday.

This is the second time that Ms Khan has put up her works for a display in the federal capital. Last time she exhibited her works almost three years ago.

Ms Khan has a passion for painting the architectural heritage of Pakistan. Her paintings have enlivened not only the architecture of old buildings, some over 100 years of age, but also the environments around.

Her works carry almost miniaturistic details, highlighting the minutest of details in way which a viewer can not miss. She has been visiting the old narrow 'kucha' and 'bazaar' of Rawalpindi in her quest to find the old traditional architectural heritage which is still preserved in some form.

"During these visits to the old, narrow lanes of Rawalpindi I have come across such beautiful and fascinating designs of architecture which are simply breathtaking. But, at the same time it hurts me badly to see these few samples of our fascinating architecture crumbling and fading away with almost no attention being paid to protect and preserve it," Ms Khan said.

Her latest works include the paintings of Uch Sharif and the palaces of Bahawalpur. She has painted the crumbling architectural heritage of Uch Sharif in almost photographic details.

"I have visited these palaces and watched the subjects very closely. Then I took the pictures and have converted those on the paper in water colours also employing my memory. It is obvious that it is not easy for me to paint on the spot because such an activity always catch immediate attention of people which led to disruption in work and thought," she said.

In her paintings Ms Khan has paid attention to the details to the extent that even the torn posters pasted on the walls are clearly visible and the inscriptions on the signboards in front of the shops are legible.

She has also painted the beautiful marble 'jharokas' of the Bahawalpur palaces but her works done in Uch Sharif are simply fabulous.

"I wish somebody somewhere in the government should come forward and try to protect and preserve this traditional heritage which still makes us proud in the world.

It is so painful to see this treasure crumbling and fading away with the time only because of lack of attention. Just a small effort and we can preserve these architectural treasures," Ms Khan said.

There were 48 paintings put up at the exhibition, mostly of buildings/homes in Bhabra Bazaar, Purana Qila, Saddar, Raja Bazaar, Trunk Bazaar in addition to those done in Uch Sharif and Bahawalpur.

"Having got tired of painting our architectural marvels I take refuge in painting these flowers, presenting the most beautiful colours of nature. These daisies, poppies and sunflowers provide relief to my senses," she said.

It is interesting that Ms Khan has done her masters in geography from the Peshawar University after graduating from Kinnaird College. She was awarded a diploma by the Inchbald School of Design and Decoration, London, in 1963. It was only in 1989 that she took early painting lessons from Maria McCarthy and started painting.

Ms Khan has exhibited her works in group shows at Islamabad and has participated in the 8th National Exhibition of the Visual Arts organized by the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) in 2003.