KARACHI, April 22 Showcasing work by seven photographers, an exhibition and a book launch were held at the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture on Thursday.

The photographers were Amean J, Arif Mahmood, Farah Mahbub, Fareena Chanda, Farzad Bahgeri, Izdeyar Setna, and Tapu Javeri. Titled K'Architecture, it was a tribute to the architectural landscape of Karachi.

Each photographer presented their perspective in their own manner. Photographers Farah Mahbub and Tapu Javeri chose to focus on the more colonial side of Karachi. Their section contained images from buildings in the Burnes Road, Saddar and related areas of the city. Farah's section (titled Making of the colonial soup) was entirely done in black and white and consisted of whole buildings whereas Tapu's, titled Balconies, concentrated on that aspect of the structures he photographed.

Amean J showed photographs from his previous online exhibition titled +92 Pakistan, and showed it at this venue as In memory of prosperity. His exhibits showed different sides and perspectives of the Quaid's mausoleum with a fading moon in the background.

“Karachi has not only inherited a treasured architectural landscape, but also attracted flocks of people to the city by the sea to make it the financial hub for a new country,” writes contributing photographer and one of the editors of the book, Amean J, in the introductory note.

Focusing on the contemporary side of the structures in the city, Farzad Bagheri, took his photographs inside peoples' homes. Several elements were common in his photographs (under the section Environmental portraits) — the tendency of taking long shots at areas with swimming pools shrouded in the middle of a rich green and leafy landscape and capturing the shadows that formed. Upon a closer look, one could see a person or two cleverly hidden within the shot.
Fareena Chanda, in her exhibit titled Architectural reflections, showed different aspects of dilapidated buildings.

Arif Mahmood and Izdeyar Setna focused on a more personalised, almost isolated aspect of the landscape in the city. Arif's photography, under a section titled Soldier Bazaar, carried his signature stamp and used interplay of dark black shadows in the midst of the vibrant colours. He showed a stray dog on the ground, graffiti on a dilapidated wall, the pattern of the shadow that forms when an old grilled gate is left open etc.

Izdeyar Setna, in his exhibit titled Fading footsteps, showed a remote old lock and a number plate titled No. Old 4, No. New 7. The content of this particular exhibit was perhaps not as literal as the rest. Izdeyar said “I don't want to tell the complete story. I just want to show a part of it and then let people go to the original place and see for themselves.” About the exhibit he said “I think it's sad that old places are being torn down to make space for new ones. The way things are going, for the next generation there will be nothing to show.”