KARACHI, Nov 13: It is never easy to be a self-taught artist and then carve a niche for yourself in the world of art. This becomes all the more significant in Pakistan’s context where art and artists are seldom appreciated the way they merit. A three-day exhibition of photographs titled ‘Voices of the Soul’ by a young photographer Nireen Shehzad Salim opened at the Ocean Art Gallery on Tuesday. It contains a variety of images, and bearing in mind the age of the artist (17), it has to be said that she’s done a pretty decent job.
The images on display were taken during the past one year or so and cover different parts of the world. But some of the most striking pictures are the ones that the young photographer took in the remote areas of Sindh. For example, a shot of a woman carrying a bucket on her head may not sound like an unusual idea.
It is the way Nireen Shehzad has captured the moment which makes it attention-grabbing. It may be a photo, but it is a moment in motion that she has effectively captured.
The other image, which shows the artist’s sensitivity towards societal issues, is of four young boys, perhaps from the underprivileged segment of society, merrily looking into the camera. In the background the viewer can see bricks of an under-construction building, though the structure is not in full view, which in a manner of speaking gives away the social stratum that the young boys belong to.
The photographs taken in Europe have a different feel to them. There are a few lighting issues, which given the artist’s age and self-taught background, can be overlooked. On the whole the display speaks for her bright future.
The exhibition is dedicated to Malala Yousufzai and will be open till Thursday.—PS
