ISLAMABAD: The Embassy of China and the Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage held an exhibition of paintings, calligraphy and photographs at the Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA) on Friday to mark the 67th founding day of China.

The event started in the main PNCA lobby, an already narrow space that felt near claustrophobic for journalists and guests.

The chief guests at the event were the Chinese ambassador, Sun Weidong, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Pervez Rashid, Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Syed Tariq Fatemi.

Speaking at the press conference, the Chinese ambassador talked at length about the “all weather” friendship between Pakistan and China and how the exchange of art will help bring the two countries together.

He said a delegation of 12 Pakistani artists travelled to China and visited various parts of the country. He said the artwork they produced during their visit reflects “the feelings of Pakistanis towards China and the deep love that the people of both countries have for one another”.

A silent auction will be held on the 16 pieces submitted by the Pakistani artists, the proceeds of which will go towards educating Pakistani girls, he added.

Guests were then directed towards the exhibition, which started with a display of pictures chronicling Pakistan-China relations. These included pictures of Mao Zedong meeting with Prime Minister Suharwardy in 1956, one of a meeting between Gen Ziaul Haq and Chinese vice premier Deng Xiaoping in Beijing, the then foreign minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, signing the China-Pakistan Border Agreement, and a smiling Ayub Khan sitting by a lake in the summer palace of Chinese premier Zhuo Enlai.

The main exhibition consisted of calligraphy pieces by various Chinese artists as well as paintings by Chinese calligraphists and the 16 pieces submitted by Pakistani painters after their visit to China.

Talking about one of his artworks, which portrays a sandstorm around houses and the rising sun in what seems to be a Chinese village, Yuan Yaouqi told Dawn that the sun portrayed new beginnings and the bright future of the people of China and Pakistan.

By far the most attractive part of the exhibition was the display of photographs by Chinese photographers. They were all very lifelike, colourful and did a good job of communicating what China and its culture were like.

One of the most capturing of the pictures was one of an ancient street of Fenghuang, which shows a cobblestone street lined with houses with slanting roofs, still wet from rain, with a couple of people holding up colourful umbrellas that stand in striking contrast to the otherwise grey tone of the picture.

Another captivating picture is of stilled dwellings, taken from the water. The picture portrays many houses on stilts, and families going on about their daily lives. Delicately balanced homes and the colour of the lives they house stand above deep, turquoise water and almost seems like an oil painting.

Asked what he thought of the exhibition, actor Jamal Shah said all the works included in the exhibition were “wonderful”, however, he said he would have placed them in a bigger room. “The way they are placed now makes the whole thing so overwhelming,” he said.

The actor said cultural exchanges do more to strengthen ties between two countries and that Pakistani filmmakers will soon be exploring Chinese markets.

Talking to Dawn, Mr Fatemi said the art pieces portray the depth of the relationship between Pakistan and China and that the fact that there are many aspects to this friendship, not just the political side.

Certificates of honour were presented to the Chinese artists as well as to representatives of Pakistani artists whose works were displayed in the exhibition.

Published in Dawn October 22nd, 2016