ISLAMABAD, Oct 26: The first national exhibition of landscape paintings, “the Vision of Landscape”, opened at the National Arts Gallery on Saturday.

It reflects the greatest achievements of Pakistani artists in the domain of landscape paintings. The culture minister, Col S.K. Tressler (retired), who was present on the occasion, said it was the best art ensemble he had ever seen.

In particular, he was full of praise for the masterly work done by young generation of painters. He said: “It is not enough to paint; the work should also bring good rewards; paintings must also sell.” In this regard he appealed to the affluent community to purchase art work and encourage artists.

Referring to this aspect, the Pakistan National Council of the Arts director-general, Raja Changhez Sultan, informed the minister that he had asked a young but well-gifted landscape painter Rashid Khan to curate the exhibition.

He said the national exhibition was an enlargement upon similar exhibitions held in the past on calligraphy, sculpture, miniature art, and photography.

The landscape exhibition featured many paintings done in oil and pastel, besides those in water colour.

Ms Amna, a student who graduated from the Punjab University this year, told this reporter that water colour paintings had dominated the exhibition.

The paintings by Ghulam Mustafa, Kahkashan Jafri, Nazir Ahmad, Musarrat Mirza, Arif G. Alvi, and Amjad Naeem were greatly appreciated by the visitors. A jumbo-sized landscape by Mian Ijazul Hasan, called ‘Bohri on the roadside’, and Gulam Rasul’s ‘bare twigs’, both done in oil, attracted the spectators’ attention for their rich colours and poetic sensitiveness.

However, to the visitors’ surprise, paintings by the great Ustad Allah Bukhsh and Prof Khalid Iqbal, which were examples of great depths, had not been properly placed. Visitors, who had some knowledge of art work, were found asking about these great masters and their work.

The curator, Rashid Khan, told this reporter that he tried to present the best in Pakistani landscape paintings over 50 years period. The paintings put on display included works by masters like Ustad Allah Bukhsh and the present generation of artists like Mohammad Kaleem from Quetta and Mughees Riaz from Lahore.

The Oxford University book, “Pakistan Colours,” written by Athar Tahir in 2001, was considered by many as a compendium volume on the national exhibition, reflecting landscapes, and was on display.—Jonaid Iqbal