Naqsh Magazine | Issue 01 Self Expression | 11-08-2020

Aug 1 1th-08-2020

A Creative Magazine by the students of Department of Visual Studies

Issue 01

SELF EXPRESSION

Dear Reader, I am aware of how you’ll be flipping through without actually reading this and if you do so, you’ll find me under your bed.

Let’s make it a little formal now; it is an absolute pleasure to welcome you to Naqsh Magazine as we start fresh with our very first publication. To say the past 6 months have been the hardest would be an understatement, but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t worth it. From the beginning till the very end, the first issue of Naqsh presented many challenges; all of which my team dealt with in a manner worth appreciating. Naqsh is a student-led publication run for, and by, students on campus. The Magazine’s main objective is to give the student body a voice and safe space, protecting their expression of artistic freedom.

Naqsh faryādī hai kis kī shoḳhī-e taḥrīr kā Kāġhażī hai pairahan har paikar-e taṣvīr kā The plaintiff is a picture, a torch-lit in the day: whose mischief is meaning?

Every image is a supplicant here, wearing a garment of paper We believe in being inspired by the voices of the students and encourage the practice of free speech and pure honesty, promulgate the multitude of voices that are contained within our small campus. Our mission is to bring the thoughtful and engaging exchange of dialogue on political and social issues, while also displaying the campus’s creative side through the arts, literary and otherwise. The theme for this issue is “Self-Expression”.

Art can also be defined under the term, self-expression. I’m sure we’ve all taken a certain amount of pleasure in sharing what goes on in our heads through various forms of art, be it writing, poetry, photography, or random sketches/illustrations of your musings. Artistic expression is the very tool that ensures that your voice is heard over millions of others who are unable to put the handy tool of their creativity to use.

This issue encouraged artists to use their ability to express themselves through various forms of art to make something unique and creative. We wanted to highlight the diversity on campus and to use our platform as a space of learning. Freedom of speech, however, does not mean the freedom of hate speech.

Article 19 of the Constitution of Pakistan 1973 states: "Every citizen shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression, and there shall be freedom of the press, subject to any reasonable restrictions imposed by law in the interest of Islam, the integrity, security, defense of Pakistan, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, decency, morality, concerning contempt of court, or incitement to an offense.

The cover reflects through its simple imagery of a dismantled matchbox, a set of matchsticks as a society of humans in the confines of such restrictions, indicated through the large crosses on the walls of the box."

As a student publication, we would like to be as transparent as possible. We have no political views whatsoever, we aim to make the artist feel free and protected while exercising his/her/their right to freedom of expression. We welcome any comments and critiques you may have as a reader. Letters to the editor are also highly encouraged and will be considered for publication on our website.

I’d like to thank the department and its constituents for keeping an open mind towards a digital platform for artists. We plan on making the most of the digital world through our plans to make a You Tube channel, which will play host to our content which also includes podcasts.

I am proud of my team for the immense amount of work they put into this issue and for trying their best to bring the image of Naqsh I had in mind, to life.

Love and gratitude, Mariam Zulfiqar Kazi and Team Naqsh.

Inspired by Faiza Sarwar Illustrated by Maham Ali

CONTENTS Poem

Article

‫افسانا‬ Rafay Akbar

09

What is beauty?

Anusha Aazar

10

‫لہریں بنجاتی ہیں‬ Saim Umair

12

Vellichor Anum Siddiqui

14

‫خواب‬ Alishba Sarhandi

16

Isolation Tehreem Mazhar

18

Barish Neha Faheem

20

Exulansis Anum Siddiqui

22

The time my grandmother was fighting for life Anonymous

24

Censorship Behram Farooqui

26

Inspired by Anonymity Qasim Hasnain

28

Behind the Wall Syeda Fatima Hasany

32

Unpaid Internships Tehreem Mazhar

33

‫ ﮐيﺎ ہﻤﺎری ﺗہﺰيﺐ ﮐﺎ ﻋﮑﺎس ہﮯ ؟‬،‫ ڈراﻣه‬TV Aliza Durrani

34

Artists Getting Exploited Neha Fahim

35

Opinion Living on the Edge: The Third Gender of Pakistan By Dureshahwar Iftiqar

37

Illustration

Interview Comic

Short Stories Review

Photography

Feature

Ayesha Malik

41

Anusha Aazar

46

Ayesha Chandio

43

Manaal Khalid

47

Ayesha Fahim

44

Arwa Shabbar Halai

48

Faiza Sarwar

45

Abul Hasan Naqvi

53

In conversation with Hamza Tariq

59

An insight into his comics Shahab Uddin

65

The Dark Lord Shall Rise Again Tehreem Mazhar

75

Meeting At The Bus Stop Anum Siddique

78

Laal Kabootar Anusha Aazar

80

Pinky Memsaab Tehreem Mazhar

82

Shehr e Tabassum Ghaniya

81

Abdul Rehman

88

Shahmir Khan

102

Hunzila Junaid

92

Syeda Fatima Hasany

96

Saqib Ali

98

Halah Khan

111

Nasar Kazmi

118

Syeda Warda Batool

113

Maha Nauman

114

Hasan Raza

116

Maham Ali

‫‪Poem‬‬

‫‪Issue 01‬‬

‫‪Self Expression‬‬

‫آج ايﮏ ﻋﺠيﺐ اﻓﺴﺎﻧه ﻟﮑھﺘﺎ ہﻮں‬ ‫اﭘﻨﮯ زﻧﺪہ رہﻨﮯ ﮐﺎ ﺑہﺎﻧه ﻟﮑھﺘﺎ ہﻮں۔۔۔‬ ‫ﺧﻮﺷى ﮐى ﮐہﺎﻧى ﺗﻮ ﻣﺨﺘﺼﺮ ہى ﺗھى‬ ‫آج اﭘﻨﮯ ﻏﻢ ﮐﺎ اﻓﺴﺎﻧه ﻟﮑھﺘﺎ ہﻮں۔۔۔‬ ‫ﹸان ﺗﻨہﺎ راﺗﻮں ﻣيﮟ اﮐيﻠﮯ ﺑيﭩھ ﮐﮯ ﻣﺴﮑﺮاﻧﺎ ﻟﮑھﺘﺎ ہﻮںﹸ‬ ‫ﹸاس روﻧﻖ ﺑھﺮی ﻣﺤﻔﻞ ﻣيﮟ اﭘﻨﮯ درد ﮐﻮ ﭼھﭙﺎﻧﺎ ﻟﮑھﺘﺎ ہﻮں۔۔۔‬ ‫اﭘﻨﮯ ﻣﻌيﺎ ﹺر زﻧﺪﮔى ﮐﮯ ﺑﺮ ﻋﮑﺲ‬ ‫ﭼﻨﺪ رﺷﺘﻮں ﮐﻮ ﻧﺒھﺎﻧﺎ ﻟﮑھﺘﺎ ہﻮں۔۔۔‬

‫اﭘﻨﮯ ﺧﻮاﺑﻮں ﮐﺎ ﭨﻮٹ ﺟﺎﻧﺎ ﻟﮑھﺘﺎ ہﻮں۔۔۔‬ ‫ﹸان ﭼﻤﮑﺘى آﻧﮑھﻮں ﻣيﮟ ﮐيﺎ ڈھﻮﻧﮉﺗﮯ ﺗﻢ ﻣيﺮی ﺣﻘيﻘﺖ‬ ‫آؤ آج اﭘﻨى ﺣﻘيﻘﺖ ﮐﻮ ﺳﺎدﮔى ﺳﮯ ﭼھﭙﺎﻧﺎ ﻟﮑھﺘﺎ ہﻮں۔۔۔‬ ‫ﻣﻌيﺎر ﺷﺎﻋﺮاﻧه ﺗﻮ ﻧہيﮟ ﻣيﺮا‬ ‫ﺑﺲ ﭼﻨﺪ ﻟﻔﻈﻮں ﮐﻮ ﺳﻤيﭧ ﮐﺮ زﻧﺪﮔى ﮐﺎ ﺑﮑھﺮ ﺟﺎﻧﺎ ﻟﮑھﺘﺎ ہﻮں۔۔۔‬

‫راﻓﮯ اﮐﺒﺮ‬

‫‪9‬‬

Issue 01

Self Expression

What is beauty?

Is beauty a pool of deceit or honesty?

Is beauty a phony display of sincerity?

Beauty lies in how you say, what you say.

Beauty exists in how you perceive what you see Beauty isn’t something you can feel or touch, Beauty is what can’t be seen, yet can be seen.

Anusha Aazar

10

Poem

Maham Ali

Issue 01

Self Expression

Fatima Mirza & Yusra Shamim

12

Poem

‫ﮐيﺎ ﺿﺮورت ﺗھى‬ ‫يﺎدوں ﮐﮯ ﭨہﺮے ہﻮے ﭘﺎﻧى ﻣيﮟ‬ ‫ﭘﺘھﺮ ﭘھيﻨﮑﻨﮯ ﮐى ﻟہﺮيﮟ ﺑﻦ ﺟﺎﺗى ہيﮟ‬ ‫ہﺮ ﻟہﺮ‬ ‫دل ﺳﮯ ﭨﮑﺮاﺗى ہﮯ‬ ‫درد‬ ‫ﻣﺠھ ﮐﻮ ﺳہﻨﺎ ﭘﺮﺗﺎ ہﮯ‬ ‫ﺗيﺮی يﺎدوں ﮐﮯ ﭘﺘھﺮ ہﻮں‬ ‫يﺎ‬ ‫ﺗيﺮی يﺎدوں ﮐﮯ ﺳﻨﮕﺮيﺰے‬ ‫ﺗيﺮے ﻣﺎﻧﮕﻨﮯ ﮐى دﻋﺎوں ﮐﻮ اﻧھﮯ ﻣيﺮے �ﺗھﻮں ﮐﺎ‬ ‫ﺧﺎﻟى ﻟﻮٹ ﺟﺎﻧﺎ ہﻮ‬ ‫ﺳﺐ‬ ‫ﻟہﺮيﮟ ﺑﻦ ﺟﺎﺗى ہيﮟ‬ ‫ہﺮ ﻟہﺮ‬ ‫دل ﺳﮯ ﭨﮑﺮاﺗى ہﮯ‬ ‫درد‬ ‫ﻣﺠھ ﮐﻮ ﺳہﻨﺎ ﭘﺮﺗﺎ ہﮯ‬ ‫ﺻﺎﺋﻢ ﹸﻋﻤيﺮ‬

Issue 01

Self Expression

The time my grandmother was fighting for life I remember when I was a child, I loved going out to play.

With the princesses and princes, On land free of any greed or treachery.

I Rode with dragons and went on adventures with the chosen few, I went and I played to my heart’s content.

My mind soared, and I savored that freedom.

As I grew older, my quests changed.

From play-fighting to more serious battles.

Yet I was still happy, I had friends that I would travel beside, Facing obstacles and celebrating wins, Mourning the ones we lost along the way.

But we kept marching, keeping their memories in mind.

Now as I pass another doorway to those dimensions, My heart yearns for those days, When I spent days holed up in that quiet little bookstore, Across the lane from where I lived.

Wondering if I could indeed travel back in time, To have one last adventure with them.

But time moves on and we grow older, Leaving nothing but memories and vellichor Anum Siddique

14

Poem

Maham Ali

Issue 01

Self Expression

Maham Ali

16

Poem

‫يه ﺟﻮ ﺧﻮاب ہيﮟ ﻣيﺮے درﺑﺪر‬ ‫ﻣيﺮی ﺧﻮاہﺸﻮں ﮐﮯ ﺣﺼﺎر ﻣيﮟ‬ ‫اﻧھيﮟ ﮐﺮ ﻋﻄﺎء ﺗﻮ ﺳﻤﺎﻋﺘيﮟ‬ ‫ﮐﮯ يه ﺳﻦ ﺳﮑيﮟ ﺗيﺮے راز ﮐﻮ‬ ‫اﻧھيﮟ ﮐﺮ ﻋﻄﺎء وہ ﺑﺼﺎرﺗيﮟ‬ ‫ﮐه اﻧھيﮟ دﮐھ ﺳﮑيﮟ وہ ﻧﻮازﺷيﮟ‬ ‫ﺟﻮ ﻋﻄﺎء رب ﮐﺮيﻢ ہيﮟ‬ ‫ﻣيﺮے ﺧﻮاب ہيﮟ ﺟﻮ دھﻮاں دھﻮاں‬ ‫اﻧھيﮟ ﺑﺨﺶ دے‬ ‫ﻣيﺮی ﺣﺴﺮﺗﻮں ﮐﺎ ﺷﻤﺎر ﮐﺮ‬ ‫ﻣيﺮی ﺧﻮاہﺸﻮں ﮐﻮ ﺗﻮ ﺑﺨﺶ دے۔۔‬

‫ﻋﻠيﺸﺒﺎہ ﺳﺮہﻨﺪی‬

Issue 01

Self Expression

Isolation Why am i stationary all day long! peculiar, isn’t it?

Ponders our car staring at big concrete pillars in the Basement parking lot.

Aching to be uncapped to pair up with a white board, my Father’s board markers are bored of lying at the bottom of His bag. probably wondering why doesn’t professor take Us out anymore?

That old neem tree at the corner of our university cafeteria.

It misses the company of those young love birds.

Confessing, laughing, arguing, sitting for hours under its cool green roof.

Reminiscing about days when they had mud on them, My shoes sit there under the bed, collecting dust instead.

Sitting by the window, a cup of tea in hand.

Breathing once again, Mother nature is enjoying herself.

Tehreeem Mazhar

18

Poem

Mariam Kazi

Issue 01

Self Expression

aaj phr baarish barsi, aaj phr mujhay wo yaad aya! wo mitti ki mehek se uss ka mehek jaana! wo baarish ki boondon ko mehsoos kar k uss ka khil jaana! wo chat per nangay pair khushi se uska naachna! kitna anmol tha wo bachpana mera aaj phir baarish barsi aaj phir mujhay wo yaad aya

Anusha Aazar

20

Poem

Maham Ali

Issue 01

Self Expression

Exulansis (The tendency to give up talking about something because others are unable to relate to it.)

I stared at her long and hard, Trying to keep up the flow of conversation.

But she looked like she no longer cared, For the stream of words falling out of my mouth.

I tried engaging her with me, Trying to brighten up her smile.

I was failing miserably, But failure never really was an obstacle.

Her eyes showed a truth I could not ignore, The desperate yearning for someone to understand.

Her demons I could feel, poking out of her porcelain skin, Yet her imperfectly perfect mask hid it all.

Letting not a single tear shed, While her eyes were full of them.

I talked and I talked, Trying to be the center of her attention.

But it wavered and I faltered, Shoving me back to where I came from.

I stopped and I contemplated, Trying to grasp onto some form of closure.

But she had forgotten all about me, The person who once dwelled among the demons inside of her.

Anum Siddique

22

Poem

Maham Ali

Issue 01

Self Expression

The time my grandmother was fighting for life Every time my phone blinked open I would unconsciously pause And fell a shiver down my spine Every time the notification bell dinged I would unlock my phone And force my eyes to focus on the screen Every time my phone rang I would tell myself to be prepeared And felt my heart sink Everytime our car returned to the driveaway I would close my eyes And send a silent prayer to the skies

Anonymous

24

Poem

Fatima Mirza

Self Expression

Article

CENSORSHIP

A

BEHRAM FAROOQUI

rt is considered as expressions of one’s idea or imagination and one has the freedom to express his opinion and ideas in any way they want to in this free world. However, as an artist, especially in a country like Pakistan where art is still trying to find its roots within the culture, one is prone to facing much backlash and negative criticism, which might even lead to getting one’s idea censored. You must have heard about movies being censored, and often it is because the idea being delivered may include political criticism. Shouldn’t art be given full freedom of expression like any other industry?

Artists have faced backlash in the past from time to time, not only in Pakistan but worldwide. If we delve a little into the history of Pakistan, we will find instances of censorship of art during the ’70s under the re gime of General Zia-ul-Haq. A protesting artist, Ijaz-ul-Hassan’s work was censored due to his poster criticizing the martial law, for which he was threatened and even thrown in confinement in Lahore fort for four weeks. (Source:The Independent). He also told The Independent, “I have never been able to distinguish between politics and painting. Politics was unavoidable, right from the beginning”. He also said, “One of the reasons democracy is so fragile in Pakistan is because we do not build up institutions such as the arts, which are essential for democracy”.

Her work titled‘Killing fields of Karachi’ was an installation of 444 gravestones,including a short documentary film being screened at Frere Hall, all of which wasordered to be taken down by a group ofunknown men. Theyalleged that the installation revolves around the judiciary killings by police officer Rao Anwar, each gravestone representing the killed person.

News of the incident spread on social media like wildfireand became the centre of attention after being taken down. Different artists and students stood with the artist and condemned this act of censorship. The incident took a new turn when the second-day Adeela’s work was vandalized and broken. It is still unknown to date who was behind this. In the statement released by Karachi Biennale Trust, Adeela’s work was described to be of a political nature, stating, “With regards to the exhibit in question, we feel that despite the artist’s perspective, it is not compatible with the ethos of KB’19 whose theme is ‘Ecology and the Environment’”.

From the gallery two of mian ijaz ul hassan’s webpage ijazulhassan.com/Galleryii/index.html New Year Bouquet (1981) 28"X22" Oil on Canvas, Collection: Mrs. Meena Rehman

The headstone-like sculptures were destroyed by police personnel who entered the event in lainclothes. www.bbc.com/news/world-asia

The art community of Pakistan has developed quite a lot and artists have been producing some very bold and impactful work since the past few years, whether by direct or indirect means.

However, there are still not many resources or institutes available for the promotion of art. In past few years some organizations have been working tirelessly to promote the local and international art scene here in Pakistan, like the Karachi Biennale ’17 and ’19 (organized by Karachi Biennale trust and International Public Art Festival under supervision of I Am Karachi Org.) which brought many International and local artists together at one platform to showcase their diverse work.

Late in October’19, Karachi Biennale kicked off with great success andgarnered much attention from the public. During the first few hours of the opening, a controversy stirred up around an art installation by Adeela Suleman at Frere Hall. The artist is a Pakistani contemporary sculptor, associate professor of Fine Arts at the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture.

26

Theyadded that “politicizing the [biennale] platform will go against our efforts to bring art into the public and drawing artists from the fringe to the mainstream cultural discourse”.

(Source: Dawn).

DG park, Afaq Mirza said in an official statement,“I had permitted them to use this space, but for art. But over here, you’ve built a graveyard, recreated bodies with whole chili peppers [about another exhibit], this is not art. It is vandalism.

This is giving the wrong picture of Pakistan.” (Source: Dawn)

In light of the statement by Afaq Mirza, a question arises that if this is not art then what is art? If art does not make yourself a question or provoke your inner self then what is art? If it does not talk about our surroundings and speak ourselves then what is art? I believe that a big misconception about art in our society is that art is something used only for decoration, to fulfil aesthetic purposes and that it always has to be something beautiful.

Censorship

In light of the statement by Afaq Mirza, a question arises that if this is not art then what is art? If art does not make yourself a question or provoke your inner self then what is art? If it does not talk about our surroundings and speak ourselves then what is art? I believe that a big misconception about art in our society is that art is something used only for decoration, to fulfil aesthetic purposes and that it always has to be something beautiful.

Many artists have been censoring their work by using symbolism to depict the truth so they don’t have to face such criticism from anyone. Such type of acts to censor art create fear among newcomers to present such works freelyto people. It’s like taking away their right to freedom of expression. In my opinion, art should never be censored unless it's blasphemous or a threat to one’s integrity or country because artworks are also historicalartifacts which tell us about the events that took place at that time. By censoring it, one is erasing a part of history.

Now what happened at KB’19 was just a great showdown of power to cover up the truth. It is ironic how they wanted to suppress the content of the artwork but it ended up stealing the spotlight on social media platforms. Had they let it be, perhaps only a few people would have noticed what it was about. But after the incident, even those people began to follow the story who weren’t even aware of the exhibition in the first place.

In my opinion, it was a successful installation of KB’19.

It’s not necessary that everyone is going to like what an artist has created and agree with him or her but censoring the artist or his work is not a solution to express that you don’t like it. Everyone has the right to have an opinion and express it freely including artist and censorship is a violation of that right. It is truly unconstitutional and unethical especially in a country like ours where the society of artists is already small and trying to get the respect and attention it deserves. We should stand by our artists and give them the right to exercise freedom of expression that they deserve. To conclude, I would like to quote author and literary critic Henry Louis Gates:

“CENSORSHIP IS TO ART AS LYNCHING IS TO JUSTICE”.

27

Self Expression

Article

INSPIRED BY ANONYMITY QASIM HASNAIN

I went to Multan to witness Sufism; the saints, shrines and Sufi mysticism, exactly what the city is known for. My friend from KU, Umer Khan was hosting me since he was already there completing his interior design project. The city is full of mosaic art around the wishing well of Shah Shams and the dargah of Shah Rukn-e-Alam. There is a unique scent of purity in this city. The evening was ready to greet me when Umer casually decided to show me around, and before exploring the roads of Multan, he took me to the office he was meant to be designing. To my amazement, there was not a spot of local art. On entering the office, we were greeted by a rebel on the front wall

that was pelting his enemies with flowers – he is the reason why I’m writing this article. This artwork was made by an anonymous English street artist, vandal, political activist and film director active since the 1990s; known by the name “Banksy”. Banksy’s work is a form of cultural criticism.

He targets established political agendas without much regard for anyone’s opinion but his own, which is what I love about him. He has a voice that can’t be manipulated by the restraints of society, a voice which in its prime can inspire a nobody from a third world country to start looking at things with a whole new perspective.

GIRL WITH BALLOON

Girl with Balloon is a stencilling series Banksy started in 2002. The mural of a girl with her hand extended towards a red, heart-shaped balloon first appeared on Waterloo Bridge. This particular art piece relates to all of us in one way or another. The heart-shaped balloon being the only bright-coloured, sensitive part of the piece may represent the loss of innocence, the loss of hope, or the loss of a loved one. I think Banksy intentionally chose to give this piece multiple interpretations, for what is art without it.

28

Inspired By Anonymity

BOMB HUGGER:

Bomb Hugger, also known as Bomb Love or Bomb Girl is one of my personal favourites. The meaning behind this piece is something of great importance to the artist and of much relevance to the world we live in today. This stencilled image of a girl painted black and white, hugging a bomb that is meant to kill, is a contrast between love and war. The posture of the girl and the bubble gum pink background symbolizes the innocence and purity of the girl while the bomb symbolizes war and violence.

SLAVE LABOUR

Slave Labour, in my opinion, is Banksy’s strongest piece yet. It has a very anti-capitalistic message and is political in nature. This piece is Banksy’s artistic protest against child labour and capitalistic agendas. This piece first appeared in Wood Green (North London) and meant a great deal to its residents until it was stolen one day. No one knew where it went until someone found it listed for sale in Miami. It was removed from the listing after the angry residents of London voiced their disapproval. It later on returned to England after being bought by a buyer whose identity is yet to be determined.

29

Inspired By Anonymity

WALL AND PIECE:

Banksy used this as the cover of his book, Wall and Piece. This piece yet again represents the contrast between love and war. The rebel who seems determined to throw a Molotov Cocktail, desperate to put an end to his oppressors represents war, h`ate, and violence while the bouquet acts as a silver lining in this tale of death and destruction. The bouquet represents peace, harmony, and love. What I perceive from this piece is if we use the same energy we put into acts of hate and violence, into acts of love, love and peace would prevail.

30

Inspired By Anonymity

Free Zehra Dogan

Zehra Dogan is an ethnic Kurdish painter from Turkey who is best known as the editor of Jinha which is a feminist Kurdish news agency with its staff consisting entirely of women. She was sentenced to jail time due to the accusation of being affiliated with an illegal organization. Witnesses testified to her being a part of said organization but none of them even knew her name. The prosecution’s lawyer used Dogan’s paintings and her social media posts as evidence against her.

“I was given two years and 10 months ( jail time) only because I painted Turkish flags on destroyed buildings. However, they (the Turkish government) caused this. I only painted it,” Dogan said in a tweet after the sentencing.

“Art and paintings can never be used in such a way,” expressed Dogan’s lawyer, Asli Pasini. “This is an attack on art and artistic expression.”

Banksy sympathized with the Turkish painter as he believes in complete freedom of verbal and artistic expression. This mural first appeared on the Houston Bowery Wall in 2018 as a sign of protest against the Turkish Government for the unjust imprisonment of Zehra Dogan. The bars represent the days she spent in jail for simply expressing herself. Free Zehra Dogan teaches us that art can also be used as a sign of protest for a cause worth protesting for in the eyes of the artist.

Banksy is a source of inspiration for individuals like myself who voice their opinions through the art they produce. To fight for a cause worth fighting for, when no one else is and when we don’t have to, makes us the heroes we so desperately wish existed. We can all learn a thing or two from the anonymous artist and his work. Banksy is also a film director and his global fame has changed his artwork from acts of vandalism to sought-after art pieces. Public interest in Banksy was piqued with the release of the 2010 film Exit through the Gift Shop which was deservingly nominated for an Academy award. What will the anonymous artist do next? A stenciled image? Another film maybe? That’s for him to know and us to find out.

31

Self Expression

Article

BEHIND THE WALL

P

akistan has come a long way since independence and has built an economy of its own, and the textile industry has played a vital part since the beginning. Currently standing as the largest textile exporter in Asia and contributing a whopping 8.5% to the country’s

GDP alone, it is making billions of dollars annually and still growing with the passage of time.

Considered to be a country widely known for its rich, quality textile, one might consider that Pakistan’s textile manufacturing industry is as rich and colourful as the product. That is far from the truth.

Many Pakistani textile firms are being called out for exploiting artists by using their work without the artists’ permission.

For instance, renowned fashion brand Gul Ahmed stole designs from a local Artist, Shehzil Malik and used them in a clothing collection they launched four months ago. Being aware of her rights as a visual artist, Shehzil Malik took the matter to social media and brought to light how she was being exploited.

Actions were taken immediately and the famous brand was made aware of their error. They issued a public apology and immediately removed her designs from their collection.

Visual artists who are privileged, educated, and aware about their rights can tell when they are being exploited and taken advantage of. However, what about the craftsmen who lay the foundation of textile manufacturing?

Neither having the privilege of being educated enough to know when they are being exploited, nor has having a platform to express their problems put them at a huge risk of being used wrongfully.

Back in 2017, another local clothing and home decor brand Khaadi came under the spotlight of how it was ripping off its labourers every year by not registering them with social security institutions, making at least over a hundred million rupees in the process. The owners were pocketing huge profits by submitting flawed records to the government institutions. By disowning their workers, they were depriving them of their

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SYEDA FATIMA HASANY

privileges and salaries which resulted in them making more profit. Later that year Khaadi agreed to meet all the demands put forward by its workers, agreed to ensure implementation of the worker laws and to issue social security cards as per the law. However, their higher-ups have yet to keep their word. In fact, conditions have worsened at the factories where Khaadi’s manufacturing takes place.

Due to the Covid-19 outbreak, the consumption of goods has lowered down which resulted in international brands like H&M to revoke their orders to the manufacturers. To make up for the loss, Denim Clothing, a company based in Karachi which supplied H&M, fired fifteen thousand of its seventy thousand workers before Eid. It promised another twenty-eight thousand a bonus that they’d usually receive on Eid. When the workers showed up to collect what they were promised, they were locked out of the factories which led them to protesting.

In an effort to disperse the crowd the police fired and many were injured.

Furthermore, the company filed a case against eight hundred workers which resulted in some getting arrested.

Around the mid of June this year, Qasim Garments, a company that supplies to German brands like Tom Tailor, fired about thirty-five of its workers due to similar reasons. This led to a protest in front of the company.

The police fired at the crowd to disperse them only leading to injuries and twelve being arrested. The National Trade Union Federation (NTUF) with the labour department filed a complaint which resulted in the release of the arrested and all the workers getting their jobs back.

These incidents are mere examples of how companies are able to benefit off their labourers by not registering them, firing them and deducting their wages unnecessarily. To put it in simpler words, stripping them of their rights. When these people try to speak up it backfires in the form of police brutality, arrests and physical injuries.

September 11, 2012 is known as the Pakistani 9/11. Around 6.30 p.m, a massive fire erupted in Ali Enterprises

located in Baldia, Karachi, which resulted in two hundred and sixty deaths, leaving thirty-two wounded.

Investigations led to the conclusion that the casualties happened because the garment factory lacked basic health and safety measures and had no compliance to labour standards.

On July 14, 2019, at 9.54 a.m. of a Sunday morning a massive fire broke out in a garment factory in Karachi’s SITE area which continued to burn into the evening as firemen struggled to reach the point of origin. The number of casualties that took place are not known.

From the most horrific fires in history down to the most recent, many casualties have taken place leading to loss of lives of the labourers. Factories can recover from their losses but not the families of the people who have been killed.

These events are just mere examples of how labourers are being exploited for their work. Fighting for their rights has often resulted in them being forcefully silenced.

To put an end to labour exploitation, the government should strictly observe the implementation of the labour laws in the textile manufacturing factories. The corrupt within the industry that are stealing money by providing fake documents to the government should be dealt with very strictly.

A major issue that is not addressed enough is a good safety management system that Pakistan’s industries unfortunately lack. The massive fires would not have taken place if there was a proper safety back up system to fight them. There are no emergency exits, no proper equipment and neither do the people know how to protect themselves when such a situation arises. Therefore, safety drills should be practiced, proper equipment should be present at all times and safety precautions should be implemented.

By executing the necessary actions to find solutions to such problems, it will not only benefit the government but the labourers as well. They will finally have their rights and for once, a voice.

Self Expression

Article

UNPAID INTERNSHIPS

I

In the modern academic system internships hold a significant value, often becoming a standard requirement for graduation in majority of the colleges and universities. They are almost essential to secure a job in today's market.These internships open a vast array of opportunities for young people, equipping them with new skills and helping them gather professional contacts, thus forming an incredibly positive experience for their careers.However, they also have several issues which need to be addressed and fixed in order to ensure fair treatment and mend the ways through which interns are exploited.

When corporations struggle to fit the required manpower into their budgets, they opt for internship programs. While these programs promise students a broadened skill set and better career opportunities, they also exploit their talent, time and money with unpaid internships through overload of work and unfair treatment.

Now, an unpaid work opportunity in exchange for all the positive perks it provides may seem like a fairly good chance. Nonetheless, experiences & research prove that unpaid internships leave youngsters financially strained.

The UN in its World Youth Report on Youth Civic Engagement of 2016 reported that it is not uncommon for young people to undertake back to back unpaid or low paid internships, placing them in an economically vulnerable position.

The report suggests that in order to prevent the exploitation of young interns, certain rules and regulations as well as some standard benchmarks regarding internship programs must be set up.However, the UN itself has been receiving criticism for its unpaid internship programs. One particular story that caught quite a lot of attention on the internet was of a UN intern from New Zealand who, in 2015, resorted to sleeping in a tent on the shores of Lake Geneva when he was unable to cover his living costs while working as an unpaid intern.

Now, one can only imagine how much

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TEHREEM MAZHAR

worse the situation must be for interns at smaller companies and in under-developed countries which lack basic facilities like public transport that add heavily to the interns' expenditures and mentalstress, not to mention the violation of employees' laws and rights at work places.

To achieve systems and environments where interns are not subjected to exploitation, it is important that federal departments of labor work with law &order authorities in order to enforce standard rules and regulations regarding internship programs.

However, it is just as important for students and youngsters who are looking for internships, or those already working as interns, to be well-informed about what an internship actually means.One must have knowledge regarding how much work load is fair and learn to turn away unacceptable demands. One should certainly be able to identify exploitation whensubjected to it.

So, let's dive a little more into this topic and start with the basics:

What is an Internship?

An internship refers to the position of a student or trainee working in an organization to gain experience and improve skills - often to satisfy professional or educational requirements.

Unpaid Internships Internship programs are more than often, unpaid. Now, as student if one is given the chance to gain experience at a reputable company, to work & learn in a professional environment for a short period of time without pay before actually stepping into practical life, it seems like a good deal.

However, this is not the case for many companies and interns. In reality, as mentioned above - the sole purpose of many corporations looking to hire interns is to find labor that doesn't fit in their budgets. Following this, the interns that they hire are subject to extra work

load, long working hours and unacceptable work demands. They are also quite commonlyexpected to perform odd jobs instead of the work they were initially offered. All while remaining unpaid interns which is completely unethical and exploitive. In Pakistan, it is very common for companies to hire unpaid interns and give them extra work like documentation and filing instead of the work promised in proposals. For instance, many media houses are known for hiring film and media students as interns and then expecting them to perform odd jobs of a spot boy.

A student starting an internship should know that this experience is supposed to be a learning opportunity for them and learning by working only is not what internships are limited to. Your employers are supposed to actually educate you regarding your field of work. Internships here are hardly ever an educational experience. The employers usually go by the 'work & learn' philosophy, which is great, but it does not include proper professional training. A lot of times, they don't even live up to that motto and are in fact completely unaware of the idea that internships are supposed to be educational, and should be properly training youngsters for professional endeavors in the future.

One should also keep in mind that there is a fine line between an intern's work and a regular employee's work.

Your working hours, work requirements and demands should all be designed according to your academic level and the salary you are offered.

These human rights issues are a serious threat to the economic stability of young people and ethical practices. In recent times, the fight against it has intensified and continues to receive better coverage every day. However, there is still a long way to go and only the right authorities and institutions can be of help in this struggle against an exploitative system.

‫‪Self Expression‬‬

‫‪Article‬‬

‫‪ TV‬ڈراﻣه‪ ،‬ﮐيﺎ ہﻤﺎری ﺗہﺰيﺐ ﮐﺎ ﻋﮑﺎس ہﮯ ؟‬ ‫َ‬ ‫�ِ�� ���� ّ���� � ِ�‬

‫کہا یہ جا رہا ہے کہ ہامرا ڈرامہ پھر سے ‪ Strong‬ہو گیا ہے مطلب‬ ‫یہ کہ ہامرا ڈرامہ اب شوق سے دیکھا جا رہا ہے اور پسند کیا جا‬ ‫رہا ہے۔ یقینا ایسا ہی ہو گا۔ دیکھا بھی جا رہا ہوگا اور پسند بھی‬ ‫کیا جا رہا ہوگا مگر کیا واقعی ہامرا ڈرامہ پھر اسی لیول پر آگیا ہے‬ ‫جہاں پہلے کبھی تھا۔‬ ‫ڈرامہ آخر ہے کیا؟ آسان سا جواب ہے کہ ڈرامہ اصل میں ادب کا‬ ‫نچوڑ ہے‪ ،‬ادب اور ادیب کا امتزاج ہے۔ اگر ڈرامے سے ادب نکل‬ ‫جائے تو پھر وہ ڈرامہ ہر گز نہ کہالئے گا۔ اگر ہم رصف ‪ T.V‬ڈرامے‬ ‫کی بات کریں تو جب ملک میں رصف ایک چینل کی اجارہ دری‬ ‫تھی اس دور میں جو ڈرامے نرش ہوئے انہیں آج بھی ہامرے بزرگ‬ ‫نہ رصف یاد رکھے ہوئے ہیں بلکہ دوبارہ دیکھنے کا اشتیاق بھی‬ ‫رکھتے ہیں۔ انفرادی ڈرامہ ہو‪ ،‬سیریز یا پھر سیریل‪ ،‬مختلف مزاج اور‬ ‫نوعیت کے کھیل ہر طبقہ کی پسند اور زہنیت کو سامنے رکھتے ہوئے‬ ‫پیش کئے گئے۔ مزاح‪ ،‬فلسفہ‪ ،‬تاریخ‪ ،‬رومان سبھی کچھ پیش کیا جاتا‬ ‫تھا مگر ادب و آداب کے دائرہ میں۔ اس دور کے بہرتین ادیبوں‬ ‫سے استفادہ کرتے ہوئے پاکستا ن ٹیلیویژن نے ایک سے برھ کر ایک‬ ‫ڈرامہ سیریز اور سیریل پیش کئے۔ خدا کی بستی کہانی تھی نئی آباد‬ ‫بستیوں کے مکینوں کی۔ تعبیر‪ ،‬آبگینے‪ ،‬آخری چٹان‪ ،‬شاہیں اور بابر‬ ‫جیسے ڈراموں نے ہمیں تاریخ اور اپنے مسلم اکابرین کے کارناموں‬ ‫سے روشناس کرایا۔ انا‪ ،‬شمع‪ ،‬عروسہ‪ ،‬افشاں اور نورینہ جیسے ناولوں‬ ‫کی ڈرامائی تشکیل سے محبت کے حساس جزبوں پر مبنی خوبصورت‬ ‫رومانوی کھیل دیکھنے کو ملے‪ ،‬وارث‪ ،‬جنگل‪ ،‬دہلیز‪ ،‬دیواریں اور زینت‬ ‫جیسے ڈراموں نے ان چودھریوں‪ ،‬وڈیروں‪َ ،‬ملِکوں اور رسداروں کے‬ ‫مکروح چہروں کو عیاں کیا جو اپنے مزارعوں کے ساتھ جانوروں سے‬ ‫بد تر سلوک کرتے آئے ہیں۔ شہزوری‪ ،‬الف نون‪ ،‬کرن کہانی‪ ،‬زیر زبر‬ ‫پیش‪ ،‬تنہائیاں‪ ،‬انکل عرفی‪ ،‬انتظار فرمائیے‪ ،‬ہیلو ہیلو‪ ،‬مرزا اینڈ سنز‪،‬‬ ‫جنجال پورہ‪ ،‬گیسٹ ہاؤس‪ ،‬با ادب با مالحظہ‪ ،‬سونا چاندی‪ ،‬خواجہ اینڈ‬ ‫سنز‪ ،‬وغیرہ وہ ڈرامے تھے جو ناظرین کی دن بھر کی تھکان‪ ،‬ٹینشن‪،‬‬ ‫پریشانیاں چٹکی بھر میں خوش مزاجی اور مسکراہٹوں میں بدل دیتے‬ ‫تھے۔ ایک محبت سو افسانے‪ ،‬آنچ‪ ،‬چاند گرہن‪ ،‬ایک حقیقت ایک افسانہ‪،‬‬ ‫سامجی مسائل پر مبنی وہ کھیل تھے جو عرص ِ حارض کے اشیوز پر‬ ‫محیط ہوتے۔ لوک متاشہ‪ ،‬داستان‪ ،‬لوک عکس کے عنوان سے ہامری‬ ‫خوبصور ت لوک داستانوں اور لوک موسیقی کو زندہ و جاوید رکھا گیا‪،‬‬ ‫لیلی‪ ،‬ٹک ٹک کمپنی‪ ،‬بہادر علی‪ ،‬عینک واال جن جیسے کھیل پیش‬ ‫الف ٰ‬ ‫کر کے بچوں کو گھروں تک محدود رہنے کا سامان مہیا کیا جاتا‪،‬‬ ‫کسوٹی‪ ،‬شیشے کا گھر‪ ،‬نیالم گھر‪ ،‬سائینس میگزین معلومات عامہ کا وہ‬ ‫خزانہ تھے کہ جن کے ذریعے بچے چاہے بڑے معلومات کے امبار‬ ‫سمیٹتے۔ ڈرامہ سیریل جناح سے قائد‪ ،‬جدو جہد آزادی کے ان کرداروں‬ ‫سے روشناس کراتی جنہوں نے ہمیں ایک آزاد وطن حاصل کرنے میں‬ ‫اپنا تن‪ ،‬من اور دھن قربان کیا اور نشان حیدر ان جیالے شہیدوں‬ ‫کی داستانوں سے آراستہ ہے جنہوں نے وطن عزیز کی حفاظت کی‬ ‫خاطر جانیں نذر کیں۔ ڈرامہ دھواں کون بھال سکتا ہے کہ جب با‬ ‫اختیار افرسان اپنی ذمہ داریوں سے روپوشی اختیار کریں تو ایسے میں‬ ‫چند محبِ وطن نوجوان اپنی جانوں کی پروا کئے بغیر دشمنوں تک‬ ‫رسائی حاصل کرکے انہیں ان کے انجام تک پہنچاتے ہیں۔ ان‬ ‫ہی ڈراموں کی بدولت ہامرے نوجوانوں میں اٹھنے بیٹھنے کا‬ ‫سلیقہ تھا‪ ،‬بات کرنے کا طریقہ تھا‪ ،‬حب وطنی کا جزبہ سے‬ ‫رسشار اور اسالمی تشخص اور تاریخ کے اوراق سے واقفیت‬

‫روشناس کرایا۔ جو ڈش لگانے کے متحمل نہ تھے سہولت کاروں نے کیبل‬

‫آ ج بھی کئی پرانے مصنیفین اور ڈرامہ ڈاریکٹر حیات ہیں جنہوں نے‬

‫سسٹم کے ذریعے ڈش انٹینا کو گھر گھر پہنچا دیا۔ ایک آندھی اور طوفان‬

‫ڈراموں کی ایک تاریخ رقم کی ہے‪ ،‬ان کی موجودگی سے بھی استفادہ‬

‫کی مانند ہندو ستانی کلچر کی ایسی یلغار ہوئی کہ دیکھتے ہی دیکھتے‬

‫حاصل کیا جاسکتا ہے۔ وقت ابھی گزرا نہیں ہے اسے روکا جا سکتا ہے۔‬

‫ہامری سادگی‪ ،‬معصومیت‪ ،‬حب وطنی‪ ،‬رشم و حیا سب کچھ ہَوا ہو گیا۔‬

‫دنیا میں پھیلی بے راہ روی اور غلیظ رجحانات سے اپنی نسل کو بچایا جا‬ ‫سکتا ہے برشطیکہ متام نجی و رسکاری چینلز اپنی ذمہ داری کو محسوس‬

‫ء؁‬ ‫‪ 2000‬میں میڈیا کی آزادی کے نام پر پاکستان میں پرائیوٹ ‪ T.V‬چینلز کا‬

‫کریں ورنہ پھر حکومت اپنے اختیارات کو استعامل کرتے ہوئے انہیں صحیح‬

‫آغاز ہوا۔ ہونا تو یہ چاہئے تھا کہ مقابلے کی اس فضا میں ڈرامہ ایک‬

‫رویہ اپنانے کا پابند کرے کچھ اچھا دکھانے پر اور جو برا دکھایا جا رہا‬

‫چیلینج بن کر سامنے آتا‪ ،‬پاکستانی ڈرامہ جو کہیں کھو چکا تھا پھر سے ابھر‬

‫ہے ان کے روکنے پر۔ ورنہ میڈیا کی اس آزادی کے نام پر انگنت چینلز‬

‫کر اپنا مقام حاصل کرتا مگر اس کے برعکس ڈرامہ چوں چوں کا مربعہ بن‬

‫سے بہرت ہے کہ چند ایک چینلز حکومتی رسپرستی میں چلیں تاکہ ہامری‬

‫کے رہ گیا۔ ان نجی چینلز نے بھارتی ڈراموں کو پاکستانی لبادہ اوڑھانے‬

‫نسل مکمل برباد ہونے سے محفوظ رہ سکے۔‬

‫کو ترجیح دی۔ رصف نام بدل گئے ورنہ پالٹ اور کہانیاں وہی نظر آتی‬ ‫ہیں۔ وہی خاندانی چپقلش‪ ،‬رشتوں کے درمیان نفرتیں اور سازشیں۔ بیشرت‬ ‫ڈرامے تو ایک ہی جیسے لگتے ہیں۔ بس کردار اور اداکاروں کا فرق نظر‬ ‫آتا ہے۔ کمزور ڈاریکشن اور اسکرپٹ کی تو کیا بات کریں۔‬ ‫یہ کہنا بے جا نہ ہوگا کہ آج ہامرا ڈرامہ رصف ایک دو گھر وں کی اندرونی‬ ‫کہانیوں اور خاندانی رشتوں تک محدود ہو کے رہ گیا ہے۔ بلکہ کہانی تو‬ ‫کہیں نظر نہیں آتی رصف سازش ہی سازش دکھائی دیتی ہے۔ سازشیں بھی‬ ‫ایسی کہ االمان۔ رشتوں کے تقدس تک کو خیر باد کر دیا گیا ہے۔ رصف‬ ‫یہی نہیں بلکہ نہ رصف اپنی روایات‪ ،‬کلچر‪ ،‬ثقافت کو ِ‬ ‫پس پشت ڈال دیا‬ ‫گیا بلکہ اپنے اسالمی اقدار کو بھی پامال کرتے چلے گئے۔ بہن اپنی بہن‬ ‫کے منگیرت کی ْمتم ِنی اور سازش میں مرصوف کہ وہ بہن سے متنفر ہو‬ ‫کر اس کا ہو جائے۔ محبوب کی کسی اور سے شادی ہو جانے کے باوجود‬ ‫اس آس پر بیٹھے رہنا کہ اس سے طالق کے بعد وہ اس کا ہو جائے گا‬ ‫یا ہو جائے گی۔ اپنی غربت سے نفرت اور کسی دولتمند شوہر کی تالش‬ ‫میں لڑکی ماں باپ کی عزتوں تک کو داؤ پر لگانے کو تیار۔ ہر دورسے‬ ‫تیرسے ڈرامے میں طالق طالق اور خالع کی بازگشت سنائی دیتی ہے۔‬ ‫چھوٹی موٹی بات پر بیگم اپنا سوٹ کیس تیار کرتی نظر آتی ہے کہ میں‬ ‫اپنے گھر جا رہی ہوں۔ اور تو اور ماں اور باپ کے مقدس رشتوں کو داؤ‬ ‫پر لگا دیا گیا ہے۔ سوتیلے باپ‪ ،‬سوتیلی بیٹی یا بہو پر بری نظر رکھے نظر‬ ‫آرہے ہیں۔ کہیں ماں تو کہیں باپ یا ساس اور بہو سازشوں میں مرصوف‬ ‫ہیں۔ لڑکیا ں کھلے الفاظ میں اظہار کرتی سنائی دیتی ہیں کہ اگر میری‬ ‫اس سے شادی نہ ہوئی تو میں بھاگ جاؤں گی۔ لڑکا اپنی محبوبہ سے‬ ‫ملنے اس کے بیڈ روم تک پہنچ جاتا ہے اور جو سنانا ہو سنا کر واپس‬ ‫بھی آجاتا ہے‪ ،‬مگر کسی گھر والے کو خرب نہیں ہو پاتی )بھال یہ کیسے‬ ‫ممکن ہے( ؟‬ ‫الفاظوں کے چناؤ یا مناظر کی پکچرائیزیشن میں سنرس نام کی کوئی رکاوٹ‬ ‫نظر نہیں آرہی۔ میاں بیوی یا لورز کے درمیان قربت کے مناظر حدوں سے‬ ‫گزرنے لگے ہیں۔ لفظ ‘یار’ کا استعامل بڑے بیباکانہ انداز میں کیا جا رہا‬ ‫ہے۔ یہ ڈرامہ ہے جناب من جو گھروں کے فیملی حال میں چل رہا ہوتا‬ ‫ہے‪ ،‬جہاں بہنیں‪ ،‬بیٹیاں ماں‪ ،‬باپ سب موجود ہوتے ہیں۔‬ ‫کہاں گئے وہ کردار جو گھروں کو جوڑے رکھتے تھے‪ ،‬خوشیاں بانٹتے اور‬ ‫ہنستے ہنساتے تھے۔ خدارا‪ ،‬ٹیلیوژن کی طاقت کو سمجھیں۔ یہ وہ اسکول‬ ‫ہے جس سے پڑھ کر ہامری نوجوان نسل کچھ سیکھ رہی ہے۔ ان نفرت‬ ‫کدوں سے نکل کر اپنے وسیع تر کینوس پر آئیں۔ اپنی تاریخ‪ ،‬اپنے رومانوی‬ ‫ناولز اور لوک داستانوں سے فیض حاصل کریں اور اپنے ڈرامے کو اپنی‬ ‫تہزیب‪ ،‬متدن و ثقافت کے پیرائے میں ڈھالیں۔‬

‫تھی۔‬ ‫اور پھر ہم ترقی کے نئے دور میں داخل ہو گئے۔ ‪ VCR‬کی‬ ‫بدولت انڈین فلم اور ڈش انٹینا کے ذریعے بھارتی چنلز نے ہمیں‬ ‫ایک نئی دنیا سے‬

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Self Expression

Article

ARTISTS GETTING EXPLOITED NEHA FAHEEM

All forms of expression, from sculpting to painting to writing to theatre occupy a special spot on the vast spectrum of what is known as the arts. The current pandemic has taught most of us how important the arts are for one’s survival.

Why is it then, that its existence has always been taken for granted? That it often takes years for one artist to get recognized, in a world that seemingly thrives on art? I've been told since my childhood that art has no real value unlike other professions; go get a real job, study something worth your future.

This era of technological advancement, however, has allowed artists from all over the globe to reach a much larger audience than ever before. The ones you and I see on our social timelines, exhibitions, and other platforms are just a few out of the thousands out there who managed to get fame. Their growing success will make a normal person wonder that being an artist is easy enough to make money and get a bright future but behind all the luxuries and wealth is a lot of struggle. Studies show that on an average there are around 80% artists who fail to get any recognition which means only 20% artists on average can make an actual living from their work.

Being an artist is no fun when it comes to earning money, artists are appreciated but only when they are creating art for free, when they turn their passion into the profession, you'll see people turning their heads from them. It's the 21st century and artists still get cheated on. Exploiting an artist is the new cool. If you're good at something, never do it for free. This concept has been drilled in our minds but the only problem is that the people are not ready to pay for art, for them the art is just there; it has no important impact and is not worth paying for. Artists never want to work for free but creating art for their passion instead of getting humiliated and exploited by other people is a far better option for them to choose.

For example, a Graphic Design graduate from Visual Studies, Karachi

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University says how art in our country is Industrial design who is now working on considered as a luxury rather than a different platforms, says, “For a long time, real job. “It's not an essential need for I have been doing custom art and design most so when we're asked for our commissions. I have had many services it always pays a lot less than opportunities to paint murals and only a the effort, we put in. Especially if you're few of my clients have given me the a beginner the reason people will hire opportunity and freedom to pitch in with you then is not that they respect your my concept. In many cases, they have art but because they need some sort of seen something somewhere and want it artwork which is mostly supplementary replicated for one-fourth of the price. The to your goal. The reason I said the pay same clients would pay three times more less than our effort is that there's for off-the-shelf products to people they always an easier, faster, and much don't know personally. I guess most cheaper way to do it. So, asking an people in Pakistan are typical consumers artist to get some job done without who do not understand and respect work actually respecting their art enough is done by hands. And this includes largely always going to lead to exploitation the educated population. No wonder and you can't blame the client as well, they are willing to pay fairly when they we just aren't that country which could feel something is being manufactured by afford the luxury of art”. He also a machine. While around the rest of world added that designers face similar it is the other way around. The kind of problems. “As for design, there's a respect and appreciation craftsmen and misconception among both the artists get is incredible”. designers and the clients here that design is 'making things look pretty’. How does it feel when you work your And so, it's never respected anywhere brains out, putting a whole lot of energy as much as it should be. It's not even a in your passion for your work, only for it to secondary or a tertiary priority for be get ghosted for years, with businesses. And why would someone exploitation and other issues also making spend more money on something their way up? Artists are known to be which just doesn't matter much to passionate about their work and them? I've been lucky enough to work passionate people don't need validation anyone but when doing with good people as well. Especially if from you're working in a professional commission-based works most artists are workplace, they do tend to pay on likely to be taken advantage of, for time. Mostly, but I've worked with those example, many creators shared how they people too who just like to pay as late worked for clients who didn't consider their ideas, never had a clear mind while as possible. I don’t know, they just like VCR to, I guess. Doesn't make much sense, I instructing, steal their work, manipulating guess that the difference between or delaying payment for months which those two people is that for one of not only wasted their time but also gave them, the priority is the quality of work, them mental exhaustion. “But the market and for the other its money. Some has become so bad that we agree on clients still haven't paid me after working for less money”. No wonder why two-three years and honestly, it's such many young artists are held back, a minuscule amount that it doesn't passionate people can also be insecure even matter now. But it mattered at the with their work, judging someone's talent with some money instead of paying them time”. the actual amount will surely make the Exploitation is deeply rooted in the young talent question their own worth. artist's community; this is an issue which no one talks about commonly, For a society that still considers art as a however that doesn't mean it is not hobby has jeopardized artists in today’s happening. Artist have always been world, having said that many artists neglected, be it any type of art forms, unfolded their experiences on giving they all have been exploited at some their art for free. One of the students point, it's due to the concepts of shares how at the beginning he gave his worthiness people have made in their art for free so that he could get more respective minds. One of the senior customers. “That usually doesn't happen because after that people ask for more graduates from Visual Studies.

Self Expression

free art and when you are fresh to this no matter if your work is great you will never get the price the art is worth of, for example, I sold a couple of my artworks but the thing is the amount the other person is ready to buy it for is not even enough for us artists to buy enough materials for our next work”.

Similarly, Omar Asif from Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture highlights how there are clients asking for art for free or to have some concession in an actual amount just because they came from a reference, “Pretty generic stuff, day to day things designers have to face”.

These experiences put artists in an awkward situation because the struggle they plant in their one artwork is not because they want it to give it away for free in the end. However, we artists have no other choice because getting recognition is also a big deal for us. “Sometimes it's good to do something rather than nothing so we have to do the low budgets sometimes”, says Shehryar Khan, an emerging guitarist and filmmaker from Visual Studies.

To get away from exploitation is to know the fact that from experiences we learn, bad experiences do come in our way but how we as an artist deal with them is what matters. “The minuscule amount of learning is essentially more important than money. Pakistani clients do tend to do that. So, I think we should be a lot more careful”, says a graphic designer from VS. "If they know you, they would take advantage of you. And if you let your guard down, they will treat you purely as labour as-well, only recently I decided to put a full stop to doing absolutely anything customized or pre-ordered.

Made my list, designed them as I pleased, invested money in them, and then decided to sell them. And this change in strategy has given me way more respect and acknowledgment", adds the Industrial Designer.

One of the students from VS says, "Being passionate is okay but it isn't the reason to pay someone less, artists are allowed to request for fair wages" “Other than that, you have to be good

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Article

seller, marketing skills matter and to prevent such incidents, an artist has to be confident enough", adds Shehryar.

Be as it may, art is not considered as true as other professions in Pakistan, therefore, Pakistan fails to up bring the artists community unlike other countries who appreciate their art like every other career. However, it is an issue faced globally at certain levels nonetheless. As for artists they should never be insecure and avoid falling into cheating at all costs, there are good clients as well who uplift an artist and sooner or later, we'll be able to set up boundaries and work with customers who respect our art and pay on time.

Self Expression

Opinion

OPINION Living on the Edge: The Third Gender of Pakistan Dureshahwar Iftiqar The majestic rule of the Mughals, once an eminent era of history albeit with all the bloodshed and foul politics that come with such greatness, was nevertheless a place where those belonging to the third gender held much importance and were respected. Third genders were the most trusted royal varlets. They wielded enormous power and respect. They were usually appointed as custodians of the harem (parts of the house particularly reserved for the women) and some rose to the ranks of army generals, royal teachers and court advisors. They were also named as eunuchs. In the Mughal Empire, eunuchs were employed to take care of harems and some of them became aides of queens. Being castrated males, they could not sexually exploit women of the harem, but we able to carry out domestic works.The Indian film Jodhaa Akbar depicted the Mughal culture wherea eunuch was shown as a trusted lieutenant of Jodhaa Bai. With the downfall of the Mughal Empire and the advent of British rule, their influence trailed off. Fast enough British implemented a new colonist system in 1871. The Criminal TribesAct (CTA) was adopted by colonial power. It required eunuch registration and control of eunuchs.

Under the CTA, wearing ornaments and embellishment was apunishable offence for men. According to this law, “any eunuch ... who appears, dressed or ornamented like a woman or who dances, or takes part in any public demonstration” could be sentenced to up to two years of imprisonment, plus a sanction. Additionally, the CTC criminalized “all persons of the male sex who admit themselves or on medical inspection were futile”.

Colonial law deprived eunuchs of their primary revenue sources and all rights whatsoever. The destitute eunuchs were shoved further into neediness and social seclusion.The British believedthere were only two sexes.

Homosexuals were criminalized too.

Historians report that the British wanted to eradicate the third gender as a noticeable socio-social classification.

This pushed third gender orientation deeper into the invisibility cloak they had set for them.

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From then on third gender lives in solitary confinement, isolated, dispersed into groups and shunned from ordinary civic and social life. In most cases, soon after their birth they are disowned by their families and can only find refuge among their kind. They face constant harassment, aggression, misconduct, rape and exploitation, mocked and ridiculed their entire lives. The Transgender Persons (Protection of rights) Act, after decades of neglect and oppression, now gives new promise to this long-persecuted group, but it has not put an end to cultural and institutional discrimination. Getting to see their lifestyle during Mughal period and now that the pandemic had gone global; we find that now the third gender struggles very hard to sustain their lifestyle. This Covid-19 pandemic is not just a global one, it is also an economic, social and human developmental downturn.

Standing up for the most vulnerable members of society in time of such turmoil is a reflection of our ethics, governance and devotion to civil rights. This implies taking action for transgender and minority groups. It is true that we together suffer from the crises of Covid-19, but the challenges and crises this group has to face are dreadful. It sets the transgender community at an elevated risk of deprivation and ill health as they live on the extreme fringes. Operating under already restricted social rights, this society fears its survival during lockdown phase. Urging people to keep social distance transgender people has no alternative livelihood besides performing for people or pleading. Though the laws may now provide some form of equality, they are continually judged on the basis of a pre-existing model of social norms and cultural expectation. Authorities must now implement the legal principles. It is high time that society now recognizes them as one of its own members, and laws hence grant them the rights they deserve.

Behram Farooqui

Self Expression

Illustration

Ayesha Malik The Karachi University Arts and Culture Society and the Students' Advisor office, in collaboration with Voice of Sindh held the 'Paint in Pandemic' art contest in May 2020. It was open to university students from all over Pakistan.

The theme of this contest was 'Life in Quarantine' with three participating categories: sketching, painting and digital art, with the winner of each category receiving a cash prize of Rs. 10,000. The winner of the digital art category is Aisha Malik from the Department of Visual Studies, University of Karachi.

Speaking about the inspiration behind her work, Ayesha stated: "The news is full of statistics of new positive cases and deaths; the aura around us is so dismal, so I wanted to portray how i spend my quarantined days still trying to make the most out of life. I am reading a lot, so it helps me keep my mind of off the anxiety the current situation has brought with it. I strategically placed the television, blaring with news about the virus, in a corner at the bottom because it is something I would like to push to the back of my mind for a while at least in order to maintain my mental peace"

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Self Expression

Illustration

Ayesha Chandio Want to speak but it won't let me.

Trying hard to find peace in this chaotic world.

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Ayesha Fahim

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Illustration

Faiza Sarwar 45

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Illustration

Anusha Aazar 46

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Illustration

Manaal Khalid I've lost a lot of people that I knew, closely and a little distantly, in a very short period of time over these last few months. Add that on to the stress of sending in quality work for design studio, coping with the stress of the virus and making sure I stay hopeful and creative gets to be more challenging than I ever thought. The skin I live in becomes too overbearing sometimes.

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Self Expression

Illustration

Aunty Please Mind Your Own Business!

“Beta you’ve tanned so much!”

-Aunty who came to my house, while eating the snacks that I had served.

“Haye she laughs like a hyena!”

-Aunty who firmly believes that girls should have eyes only on the floor, smile weak, and nod.

“I saw her with a boy, how blasphemous!”

-Aunty who made her way from the Stone Age to the 21st century by stumbling through a wormhole.

“The bride’s makeup last night was too overdone and she looked so fat! Even the biryani was super dull, what a shame!”

-Aunty who cannot see good in anything at all.

I am positive you too have had at least one similar, dreadful experience with an insensitive aunty.

But there is no denial of the fact that worst is the aftermath of an aunty having said something really mean about you. Here’s what you will probably experience in an unfortunate case like that:Stage one: You’re probably so stunned by her remark that you went numb. If not that then maybe your cheeks are flushed by the embarrassment since majority chances are that her remark was made in front of four or more people.

Stage two: Your mind has finally registered and calculated the harm her words have caused, and as much as you’re trying to appear unmoved by them, you can feel the wetness in your eyes.

Stage three: By the time you’ve gotten a hold of yourself, your head is also screaming for a comeback that can shut her up for all of her pitiful life.

Stage four: The realization has hit you that it’s too late to say anything now since the topic has already changed, and the time to think about a good comeback was while she was digging a grave for your self-esteem with her words.

Stage five: Defeated by the evil that resides in her mind, you just decide to avoid her for the rest of your life.

I apologize if any bad memories flashed past your eyes, but since I am really passionate about calling out aunties for their destroying, gutter thoughts, I made a series of comebacks for aunties featuring the five human senses.

I call upon on all my fellow aunty haters, to feast your eyes!

Arwa Shabbar Halai 48

Illustration

Aunty Please Mind Your Own Business!

Self Expression

We all know who Abaa109 is but today we’re going to take a peek into the life of the person behind the character, Abul Hassan Naqvi AKA Abaa 109 is a renowned roaster/comedian who has a following of more than 35k on Instagram. He’s currently studying at The Department Of Visual Studies, UOK and like every other artist; he started off small and worked hard to keep his followers entertained with his content. Let’s start this off with a few questions that’ll help us get to know Abul better.

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Interview

Issue 01

Getting to know Abul Hasan Naqvi

urf Abaaa109 1. Tell me a little about Abul before Abaaa109.

5. What is your creative process like?

Abul before Abaaa109 was a humble and down-to-earth guy. People generally assume that a person would definitely change and become egoistic after experiencing fame but, I am still the same Abul that I was before Abaaa109.

I wake up at 6 in the morning on the day of shoot, write the script, finalize my characters, and decide the camera angles. Shoot the video, for good quality sound, I record on an external source like my phone. Wrap things up, I transfer the data on my laptop to edit and then finally I post it. I do all this by myself.

2. What is the story behind the name “Abaaa109” and the development of this character?

The story behind this is, I saw Abaaa109 written on a bike, you know those typical riders with modified bikes jo tez tez chalatay hain, they call each other Abaa. As for the glasses, I got those quite some time ago, a pathan uncle was selling those and as someone who likes funny and unusual things, I got them. I sometimes brought it to University too, tafrian kar ta tha with my friends. Secondly, the voice was inspired by a friend of mine who talks like this, uska totla pun I added myself and that is how the character came 3. What or who motivated you to start doing what you’re doing right now?

Yar, honestly speaking — all of my work is influenced by Indian YouTubers. I got the motivation to play several unique characters myself from Bhuvan Bam of BB Ki Vines. My roasts are inspired

by Carry Minati and for the vines I create, I take inspiration from Ashish Chanchalani & Harsh Beniwal. From Pakistani creators it is only Mooroo's work that vibes with me. I have faith in myself that I can create content like his one day but, it requires expensive equipment aur mein abhi broke hun bohat so that is for the future.

4. How would you describe the content you typically create?

The content I make is what the public wants. Locally no one makes this kind of content. Pakistani creators do make good content but their audience mainly revolves around 14 or 15 year olds. The content I make is 18+, basically for adults. They can relate to it, that’s why mera content itna chalta hai. No one would watch or share content that they don’t relate to. The key point of making relatable content is that people share and tag others in things they can relate to.

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6 What do you dislike and like about your work?

I don't dislike anything about my work. What I like about it is that I have fun while filming videos and love the fact that I do it all by myself because that is how I enjoy working. My work also gives me an opportunity to connect and make people smile, be it even for a minute.

7. What, exactly, is it about a good joke that makes people laugh?

Every individual has different sense of humor, there might be jokes they would find funny and some they won’t. All I can say is that the dialogue should have a bold punch line. That’s the main thing!

Baaki a lot comes with accent, the way you deliver it and the timing; also, I like to add in my own voice at times as music for an intro along with funny facial expressions. I think all this combined with a relatable line is what keeps the “Abaaaarmy” growing.

Interview

8. What do you think you can do to improve the quality of the content you’re making?

I need time to grow and be able to put better content out there. Speaking of technical improvement, log kehtay hain k “equipment doesn't matter” but, I think it does in this aspect. Quality behtar hogi to it would obviously be a more enjoyable experience for my audience. So, In ShaAllah when I start earning, I will work on improving the quality of my videos. One day, when I'm rich! (Laughing) 9. And now the most asked question, how do you deal with criticism? (Both constructive and non-constructive)

I believe mein abhi bhi bilkul wesa he hun jesa pehlay tha. If there's something that has changed then it is my approach towards what I do. Mein ab bohat serious hogaya hun apnay content k baray mein. A few of my videos went viral a few months ago and I have been growing since then — all of this has motivated me to work harder and practice consistency to be able to give quality content to the people who follow me. Also, I am working on a video each day and I’ll be doing this challenge for 30 days straight, it’s not easy.

Everything I do is what I observe from my surroundings and I love what I do so nothing can really stop me.

11. Which has more power, love or fear?

If your question is intended for making videos or doing work, I’d say they both play the part. If you love your field, you’ll take any measures necessary in doing your work. I’m not only talking about my vines but rather my work. Love and fear both have the power in driving someone to do their work.

12. Keeping all the hustle in mind, did you ever want to stop? Constantly making content in the beginning and not getting the deserved response, what kept you going?

I will be very honest here, wesay to mein har jaga he honest tha (laughing). Anyway, the thing is that I did stop. I started making vlogs last year but, that didn't receive much response. Then, I moved on to making vines but it was the same again, there was no response. Therefore, I decided to take a break.

However, this decision wasn't entirely based on not getting recognized. My first semester at university had also just begun during the same time and I wanted to prioritize studies. So, this factor was also involved. Phir, return meine tab maara when an Abaaa109 video went viral. I got an unexpected response and had new people discovering me every day. I had suddenly gotten under the public eye and decided to seize the opportunity to make a comeback! I have been growing in number since then.

Getting to know Abul Hasan Naqvi

Internet is a crazy thing and talking about it I respond to all the comments and wait for feedback. Little things like “Abul, you made me smile”, I think that is what makes my day; I’m an entertainer whose prime focus is to make relatable content that makes people smile. When the criticism coming my way is constructive, it helps me improve and keeps me on the edge. I always feel like if I’m satisfied with my work, I will stop improving. I have tried building myself slowly, learning every step of the way. For someone like me who does everything by himself, be it sound, make-up (where required), writing scripts and shooting, trying to put in 100%, do you think he will let all his efforts go to waste just because of a negative comment? I prefer ignoring such comments because you can’t make someone like you when they clearly don’t. I am aware of the amount of effort and time I put into my work, I feel like there will be a day they will accept me for who I am and what I do. I think everything takes time, instead of sitting and whining about it, one should put in that energy into their work because I know that people look forward to watching my videos, I do all this for them. The only way you can get them to like your work is when it connects with them.

I won’t stop trying and moving forward.

10. The Abul you are today and the Abul you used to be 4 months ago, what do you think has changed?

Getting to know Abul Hasan Naqvi

13. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given? And what advice would you like to give?

A lot of my friends and followers tell me: "Keep going (Abul, lagayraho) and by the end of this year you will be big." I think that I still have a long way to go but their faith in me keeps me driven and motivated. About advice that I would like to give, I'll say do what I do, mein advice leta sab kihun, sunta sabki hun; lekin end mein karta vohi hun jo mera dil kehta hai!

So, follow your own gut. Listen to your intuition and the rest will follow.

15. If you could change anything about the entertainment industry, what would it be?

The Indian entertainmentindustry is really good, while for people here it’s a different story. We have a habit, aik chez ko lay kar baith jatay hain and we expect it to go on for decades. For instance, take the sitcom Bulbulay,it was a good show but it ran its course. Now all they do is repeat their old jokes, Mehmood sahib, kia Rukhsana aur ye wo. There isn’t anything new. My chachu told me about visual story telling. I’d like to do something new. I want to make videos that’d be visually entertaining. It won’t have any dialogue. It’s a new initiative, like Charlie Chaplin’s silent movies. Nowadays everything is dialogue based, so it’s an initiative I’d really like to bring back.

18. What do you have planned for the future?

I don’t have one/single plan that I’d like to go by, I have many. I don’t want to give much detail about them but honestly I want to build my own mansion (my own stage), I want to become a brand. I have no chotay motay dreams. My family has a saying “jaib main bhalay aik rupiya naho, magr sochna hamesha bara” when you think big, you do big.

Career wise, I’ll make a big film, that’s why I came to University.

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Umaimah Khan

Self Expression

Interview

Hamza Tariq is a second year graphic design student from the Department of Visual Studies. He might be only 21 years old but he has been working in this field for over 7 years being acknowledged by many big organizations and corporation such as UNESCO, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Sarmayacar, Mubeen Ansari, Hartmann Group.

We asked him to share his struggles and his advices on how to approach this field as a beginner and he was quite happy to answer our questions.

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Issue 01

Interview

In Conversation with

HAMZA TARIQUE 1. What did you study?

How and when did you start graphics?

Before starting my degree at VS, I had a very 'normal' high school route although I studied Humanities in Intermediate, electing Sociology, Education and Economics as my primary subjects. My entry in the world of Design was completely accidental, I downloaded Photoshop in 6th grade and played around until I eventually became aware of what I was doing; it's been a learn-as-much-as-you-can policy since then.

2. If one is coming from a non-art or design background, what’s the impact of parents on their children?

How did it all start for you?

It’s about being determined, I have gone through the same struggle when I was in Matric my interest for graphics was at its peak, I had already figured out what graphic design was, everything was good until my father denied and said no “NO WAY, JOSE” and he forcefully enrolled me in computer science. My mental health went down, I had no interest in studying it and I never knew what was going on. My interest was only in Photoshop & illustrator. At one point my father deleted AI and PS because I was spending most of my time on them. I was so obsessed that even after he deleted them I made hidden folders and used to work on them overtime, and after some time my efforts paid off and I remember receiving my first pay check of Rs. 2200 and the day I received that everything turned around.

Parents’ concerns are valid as they seek things good for us, and if we are be able to do it and soon as they see the slightest recognition they understand everything, that Rs.2200 weren’t much but they showed my parents its worth, it made my father believe I could make decisions on my own but he also made it clear that if I fail it won’t be on him and he won’t be responsible for that, it’s on me do what I can and have to.The risks to that were high but being determined can help succeed.

3. Tell us a little about your first inspiration.

I was lucky enough to start a project for PIA they needed a consultant to overhaul their design assets for their collateral and for some editorial guidelines. I started researching in hopes to fully understand the concept of their design. At that point I was really biased.

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I wanted to project my modernist perspectives trying to change their ideology, but the more I delved deeper into the history the more my eyes opened. I somehow stumbled upon a magazine advert that PIA posted from 1969 to around 1974, 1975, the pre-post Zia & Bhutto era when the airline was commercialized, it wasn’t the way we find it today. The work I saw there left me amazed. I was blown away; it was done by the PIA itself.

I never associated fonts like Helvetica and ITC Franklin gothic along with wonderful photography genius with the costume design for the air hostess, pilot and even the logo as well as the design for the plane. I was surprised to see the work of the airline and if the work gets adopted again it would still look lovely, so the realization that my national airline used to look this unique and functional it made me question, where it all went wrong? That discovery led me to think more about things like Pakistan Chowk and Pakistan foreign affairs.

The era of Faiz Ahmed Faiz Pakistan was so far ahead and in terms of art and design along with their invention of an Urdu font “Nastalik”.

4. If we talk about western artwork, can we say that Pakistan doesn’t have that kind of freedom or that we are limited? Have you experienced something of this sort?

Yes, I mean the first point to understand is that we were ruled for about 190 years by the British so even though we have gained independence in our minds we are still their captives. Instinctively we still find them our superior, causing ourselves to have inferiority complex over mediocre things, if a white does it then it’s considered outstanding but if a Desi does it its considered average or below average even if both of them are doing the exact same thing, For example, I was doing some research on Urdu poetry over WhatsApp, even though the graphical representation included trashy visuals designed on Photoshop using effects like drop shadow and bivalent embossed, incorporating these effects into that one image for an Urdu poetry, the technique is incredible if referred to it as a classic. I was astonished by how far we have led ourselves to be fallen. Another concept is that in poetry if some English writes a love song it’s said to be a masterpiece but if it’s done by our own countrymate it’s said to be degrading. We ourselves have forsaken our creativity in poetry, art and such. This has led to our own country’s decline in artistic practices.

5. Your take on Urdu Fonts?

If we take Sarmad Hashmi, Momina Latif, Shumail Haider they didn’t do much, what they did is just mixing the Urdu typography with western standards, I ask why? They made it minimalistic and more geometric so now it looks good, we think that minimalism is a higher form of art work but complex calligraphy or complex crush work rally like ‘taqti’ or ‘kalam sy kaam’ isn’t good enough, these works have lived through centuries and are still alive, from Iran to here, this isn’t given much attention, but now that it’s being included in western presentation we consider it to be good now, I believe that to eliminate these biases it is more crucial if you understands art with a presentation, the presentation and visual style should remain secondary while the message or core being primary for it to be judged.

6. Admiring western artwork. Should one feel guilty for not communicating with design the right way according to the Pakistani culture of art and design?

I think it’s more of an internal struggle; I myself am guilty of only admiring western art as pinnacle for design while overlooking the rest. We have to understand that everything is there in its own balanced field and everything depends upon what the context is and when it can be used so there is no such thing like good or bad style but there is a concept of a good idea and a bad idea. I am not saying that the way Pakistani artists and designers are treating Urdu is bad necessarily but that there are more options to be put under consideration. As an artist and a designer it’s one’s responsibility to find beauty in little things around us keeping in mind what the young photographers are doing like with Mohid’s work or Zainab Ashar and other people like them, everyone has their own perspective and the way they present them is also up to them.

7. What keeps you driven and motivated to work?

I think it’s all about one’s internal drive. I understood at one point that if I don’t start using my artistic expression effectively, I will slowly kill my passion and happiness. Once you learn to do something daring and slightly risky, the feeling of being afraid vanishes. I have a small anecdote that somehow relates to these current struggles of design and art. I was a huge football fan as a boy. Cristiano Ronaldo had hair cutback back in the day that I really liked and I hadn’t seen anyone around me with that haircut. I was like yaar aisay hi baal katwany hain, aisay hi lgna hai. Initially it felt like pagal lagonga, ajeeb lagonga but then I got the cut and Abbu had warned me against it but katwany hain tou katwany hain! When I returned home, a furious Abbu ordered me to go back and get my whole head shaved. But in those 5 minutes when I had that hairstyle, I felt a strange confidence, a slight validation that dekho, wo waha Portugal main betha hai or usny apny bal esy kiye huway hain, and I have the same haircut. I felt so empowered with the feeling that I could do anything in the world. So, it made me realise that this rebellious energy can be applied in several other walks of life. I like to do work on risky topics; it’s very enjoyable when you know that you may potentially gain negative criticism on it. The fear of taking risks is eliminated and you just end up doing things your way.

8. Tell us a little about your exhibition at T2F right before the Karachi Creative Festival The head of T2f at the time told me that there is a space for a big group show in the T2f Exhibition. I was initially given the task of curator; my role was to put together an exhibition that revolves around any theme of my choice. After an endless search for artists who’d fit the criteria I had, I found Hanna Zarrar and Sana Ahmad, both of whom are incredibly talented. We decided that we will mainly be focusing on the very youth-centric struggle of being alive, just that existential crises period you go through (those aged 18-25 generally).

Issue 01

Interview

them your mentors, don’t find inspiration in only one person’s work, just copy everyone and copy them simultaneously. And then you become a strange sum of their qualities, a bit like how your upbringing reflects the influences of those who brought you up.

11. What are your basic steps before you start making your design?

I made nine pieces for it, each of them 20”x30”. The pieces revolve around time and the most important moments of my life were marked with the shoe and the cigarettes I was smoking. There was a pragmatic idea behind it but in the end they all came together as some abstract pieces.

9. What is the one advice given to you that you took very seriously?

I made friends with a person, a graduate in literature from the University of Oxford. He was the curator of my first exhibition. I met him through a friend and that man gave me one wonderful lesson that changed the way I had approached art and design. I was working my first job, thinking that I am only eighteen, how and why could I showcase my work in exhibitions when I barely knew anything. He said to me that there is no such thing as good or bad art. Though it’s hard to understand and accept, but once it clicks, you understand that in essence everything, good and bad, is very subjective.

The nursery rhyme Wheels on the Bus, for my little three-year-old girl is the most wonderful thing in the world, and there is no better art than that for her and if you play that video while singing along, her happiness is unmatched. Yet for you it doesn’t make much of a difference.

10. How do you find the right inspiration for your work?

The best way to learn is to copy or admiring and creating inspiration, if you are learning to play music, you don’t get the flow right away so you copy the music you like. It’s same with art and design. When you find the kind of work you like and copy them, the result will be different.

Find your mentors by yourself, don’t ask them, just make

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There's never been a magic recipe for me, although most projects start with a lot of thinking, from the moment the client hangs up the phone or a teacher finishes describing a brief.

One feels as if you've been doing it for long enough, your brain automatically starts to make connections which later on become the centre of a piece. Drawing first (no matter how terrible) is the key; from my experience, rarely anything good comes out of going digital directly.

12. What ideas do you think the work should convey?

That depends heavily on the subject matter and the audience. I'm a huge advocate of function over form; in the end, a chair is only as good as the amount of comfort it provides, and a call-to-action page is only as good as the amount of engagement it gets. True beauty will exist regardless.

13. What is your favourite film in terms of design?

Anything from Jean Luc Godard and Wes Anderson is a treat to watch but if I have to single one out that completely changed my view towards creativity it would be Why Man Creates by Saul Bass.

14. Do you have anyone in mind that you’d like to collaborate with?

There are millions of people who inspire me but I think stylistically match kerkay collaborate kerna is rather pointless because you are never producing something new. I would love to work with someone who is working in an entirely different field, like a marine biologist or perhaps a data analyst.

Interview

15. Is there any advice you would like to give to our readers?

Knowingly or unknowingly, you become what you see, so make sure what you absorb is something you really love, something meaningful, not just on the surface as perceived by the rest of world, but on a deeper level.

Just be inspired by the things which are not related to design because when you’re designing by looking at the things that you have to design for, you are not really doing any exploration. But if you are designing by studying other material, other objects and other areas of study, it becomes much more fun and interactive.

Abandon sites like Pinterest, try to get inspiration from sites that are not frequented by the general public that will definitely set you apart from the rest.

"I had learned already never to empty the well of my writing, but always to stop when there was still something there in the deep part of the well, and let it refill at night from the springs that fed it."

Do NOT listen to me or anybody. Find your heroes, find what you connect with. Replicate it until you become it.

Move on, repeat.

Shanzay Amir

Self Expression

Muhammad Shahab Uddin-

An insight into his comics

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Comic

Self Expression

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Comic

Self Expression

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Comic

Self Expression

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Comic

Muhammad Shahab Uddin is a senior film student at DOVS and is known for his intricate comic art and line work. He was kind enough to let us feature his art on the Naqsh Magazine, and he also answered some of our curious questions.

Q: What made you come up with the idea of a comic in the first place?

A: I have always been an avid fan of comics and have been drawing them in the past as well and I thought it was finally time the world got to see my sketchbook.

Q: What exactly was the thought process behind this comic?

A: My drawing process doesn’t always have a deep thought behind it; I have been the kind of person that listens to the impulsive ideas of my head and just draw. I don’t necessarily question where it comes from but it is mostly influenced from the content I like; games, comics, movies and cartoons.

Q: You say you did not have a plan or a story before you started drawing, how is it that it is so captivating and does not get sidetracked, what is it the reason for your comic to be so grounded?

A: I would say that I have to thank my major i.e. film in this regard because to see a story, to experience it and notice all the details, I think that’s what helped me keep the story interesting, care for camera angles and break the monotony of the composition in the comic.

Q: Is there anything you want everyone to know about this comic?

A: I use pop culture references in my comics usually, like I said how the content I consume ends up becoming my inspiration for my art. Another fun fact, I have hidden surprise Easter eggs in the frames for everyone to find because I really like Easter eggs and I thought it was a real fun element to add.

Q: What advice would you want to give anyone who is just starting out in art?

A: When you’re learning and building your visual library, I think its best that you use references, especially for practice, consume content for inspiration and try to come up with original art; I think it really limits the growth of an artist when they only stick to copying and imitating whatever they see, it is important to explore and experiment with your own somewhat original ideas.

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Sumbul Rizvi & Komal Ishtiaq

Sumbul Rizvi, Behram Farooqui and Komal Ishtiaq

THE DARK LORD SHALL RISE AGAIN Tehreem Mazhar Astoria shuddered in a corner of the cold basement. While Draco stood staring at the ceiling with a menacing look, Scorpios was standing beside his mother, trying to comfort her.

‘Stupid! Utterly stupid! How could she escape without them noticing! HOW?!’ bellowed his father in agony.

Outside, on the narrow staircase that led to the basement sat a house elf, quietly staring at the locked-up family of blonde-haired boys very intently.

One floor above, in an elaborately furnished drawing-room rang the echoes of an eerie hissing sound, indecorous against its sumptuous décor.

‘Excellent, Nagini,’ remarked the woman sitting at the end of a long, ornate table with a malicious smile. ‘I know you don’t like that name, but that’s what I’ve heard my father call one of the most loyal of those under his command, someone of…your kind.’ The witch was speaking to a large black serpent, resting on the polished wood, swaying its head in front of her. ‘Anyways, you have brought good news today. Dinner awaits you in the hallway,’ she added. The hungry snake glided down and made its way into the hallway, slithering through the half-shut door. As the serpent left, Delphini laughed to herself. The silence at Malfoy Manor drowned in her evil, wicked laughter. Down in the basement, Astoria, Scorpious and Draco Malfoy looked at each other in horror. Though unable to exchange any words, the three of them understood the look on each other’s face and silently hoped that what they dreaded had not happened.

THE DARK LORD SHALL RISE AGAIN

In the drawing-room downstairs, the brown-eyed witch continued to talk to herself. ‘Who would have thought it possible? I myself had given up…. almost.

However, the legacy that my father left called out to me. When the Potters and those who turned their back on my father thought I was rotting in Azkaban, I was planning. Calculating and manipulating. I could not let my father’s sacrifice go in vain. Never. What Lord Voldemort had dreamt and worked for…I will make it true. I will give birth to a world where only the pure would reign. Before I see its dawn, the filthy-blooded would cease to exist!’ she proclaimed.

Opposite her was a handsome marble mantelpiece, and beneath it a roaring fire that made the blue tips of her silvery hair shine bright in the dimly-lit room. They reflected of her keen intellect and profound talents in the dark arts, both of which were traits inherited from her parents. ‘Those left from the Lestrange family may have been traitors; but I am my mother’s daughter. I will avenge her and make her proud. She will love me.’ announced Delphi into the silence. Her tone enraged with spite and sadism, more unfortunate gifts from her parents, Tom Riddle and Bellatrix Lestrange.

‘Before I begin to shape the Wizarding World, I will wreak havoc among Muggles.

However, not like the time father did it. I will not let the magical world become alert, no. I will shake the Muggle World so ingeniously that it would raise no suspicion among Wizarding Ministries. The calamities shall start to take place before the advent of the new year,’ Delphini’s voice was now rising and she stood up without realizing as she revealed her plans to the empty room. ‘The Muggle World will be brought to a halt and from there on, one disaster shall follow another. Those naïve muggles will blame each other. For certain tragedies they shall put the blame on nature. For others, they will hold their own race accountable for harming mother-nature. Riots will break out. There will be mayhem, and very soon the Muggle World will drown in this turmoil!’ She roared and sat down again to catch up with her breath. Silence followed and after a couple of minutes, in a calm yet vicious tone she announced:

‘Then shall the Wizarding World know what hell is.

They will live the return of the Dark Lord through me.

Every soul shall know I am the new past. I am the new future. I am the answer this world has been looking for.

Every witch and wizard will witness what they The Dark Lord shall rise again.’ thought could not happen again.

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Sumbul Rizvi, Behram Farooqui and Komal Ishtiaq

Self Expression

Short Story

MEETING AT THE BUS STOP Anum Siddique

“And that was the way Millie tried to find the answers revealing the truth behind her brother’s death.” Sadie read and reread the lines trying to make sense of it before erasing it once again. ‘This isn’t working’ Sadie thought to herself. She leaned back on her chair looking out the window sighing, she glanced at her open laptop then back at the street that was overlooked by her window.

Her phone buzzed indicating an incoming message she picked it up and saw it was from her editor, she didn’t bother opening it she already knew what it was composed of; reminding her of her impending doom, not really just the deadline for when she needed to submit her first draft well it should have been her second but she was suffering from a huge case of writer’s block so she was in no way nearly finished.

She got up from her seat, stretched, walked a bit to get some feeling back into her legs, the room had grown darker from when she had first sat down to start writing she looked at her desk clock and saw that the sun had set nearly half an hour ago, so she had been continuously working for almost 6 hours without break and still stuck in an endless loophole of what Millie discovered caused her brother’s death.

‘What would have Millie done after discovering it, what would I have done? So many questions and no answers’ she felt pity for her own character ‘the author is a jerk not even knowing what happens themselves and making Millie chase down a never-ending stream of unanswered questions.’ She smiled tiredly at her own berating thoughts of self. Sadie finally tired of the being cooped up in her room decided to go out for a stroll, she slipped on her coat, slippers and a petty amount of cash not really caring about her appearance and left her house.

She walked for a while without any thoughts, not really caring where her feet led her into an unexpecting journey. She let her mind wander not really taking an effort on what her thoughts were conjuring. ‘No thoughts, head empty’ the meme suddenly popped into her head and she smiled slightly she must be going really insane if her brain had started referring to memes.

She finally came to a stop finally focusing on her surroundings. It looked like she was in a middle of abandoned bus stop with only a flickering street light to keep it company; her feet were throbbing from all the walking so she decided to rest a bit. Somewhere in the back of her mind red lights were flashing but she ignored them for a bit of quiet peace.

She had her eyes closed for what would have been approximately 2 to 3 minutes when she heard voices growing louder near her. She became alert but still sat calmly. It was only a few seconds before she could decipher what the voices were saying and it sounded like teenagers. She furrowed her eyebrows wondering why teenagers would be out and about at this time and at a place like this.

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MEETING AT THE BUS STOP

“I told you Mickey, we should have taken a turn left around the main square.” A girl’s voice sounding exasperated, “What are you talking about? We’re close I can tell.” The guy replied. “And how do you know that, with the help of your practically nonexistence tracking skills.” “What... That’s mean, take that back right now.” “The way you’re talking about it so confidently makes it seem like you can smell the place.” Another voice chimed in. “Caleb no need to add more fuel to the fire and plus mickey’s a mouse not a dog so there’s that.” The strange conversation had Sadie focusing entirely on the conversation she looked sideway and found a group of four teenagers huddled together talking.

“You know what I’m tired I’m sitting down.” A guy wearing a green hoodie said.

“Of course, Caleb, you are tired you practically ran five blocks for no reason like a kid on sugar high.” Another one said this one wearing neon yellow sneakers. “It was a race and I am no loser.” Caleb? Replied, “You’re not a loser, you’re an idiot who competed in a self-assigned race and just tired yourself out.” The only girl in the group replied, who in the whole conversation that Sadie had heard until now seemed frustrated with them. “Well Amy, I’m sorry I’m so good you feel the need to vent out your jealousy on me.” Caleb said haughtily. Amy looked flabbergasted “I don’t even know what to say to that.”

“Hey come on, no fighting we’re lost and we need to figure out a game plan.” The one with the neon sneakers said. “How about we ask the lady over there” the last guy wearing a snapback commented. “What lady, Mickey?” Caleb asked.

He looked over to Sadie and screamed…

To be continued in the next issue.

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Fatima Mirza

Review

LAAL KABOOTAR Directed by: Kamal Khan Writer/Screenplay: Ali Abbas Naqvi IMBD Ratings: 7.8/10 SYNOPSIS: When a housewife Aliya (Mansha Pasha) sets out to find the killer behind her husband’s death (Ali Kazmi) due to a target killing in Karachi, she finds out it isn’t as easy as it seems. Teaming up with taxi driver Adeel, (Ahmed Ali Akbar) who has his own set of problems and wants to flee to UAE, they help each other get what they want: Aliya, justice and Adeel, a chance at a new life with money provided by Aliya. What unfolds is them being sucked in to a whirlpool of immense corruption in an unlawful justice system combined with death threats. That was just the beginning for both of them.

REVIEW: I was excited to watch this movie, because of two reasons: a: Pakistan finally came out with a thriller and crime action film. b: The cast was star-studded at its best.

Kamal Khan brilliantly depicts the darker realities of the streets of Karachi: the problems of blatant corruption, and web of lies that come with it. I saw a lot of familiar faces but in a different setting considering most of the cast usually starred in soap operas or advertisements. It was indeed an intriguing watch. It started at a slow pace with Pasha as a housewife, and Akbar playing a rebellious guy struggling with his own set of issues. What this movie perfected in portraying is that everyone is dealing with life in a very different way. You see a heart-warming police officer played by Rashid Farooqui, which at first seemed a strange choice, but I was proven wrong when I saw how he changed from a corrupt police officer to a loving father in a matter of seconds. One can have a love-hate relationship with some of the characters and their stories, mainly because everyone had their agenda and in most cases, their ends did not justify the means they chose, like Adeel getting involved in petty crimes in his struggle to turn his life around, and Aliya paying Adeel to have her husband's murderer killed. But that's just how things are on the dark side of a city like Karachi.

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Review by Anusha Aazar

The action scenes and gunfights were very thrilling and I have to admit, they did succeed in grasping my attention immediately. The cinematography was crisp and kept one on edge, and each shot meant a lot more than just a way to get the actors in the frame. The visual storytelling speaks for itself. The editing stitched the whole story together and carried good suspense, driving you to the edge of your seat. The acting was excellent. Ahmed Ali Akbar proved to be a complete package: He was handsome, expressive and danced well. Sometimes when I was starting to lose interest, Akbar’s comedy gave me a good chuckle amid the serious situations. I felt Mansha Pasha did a good job but could’ve been better if she worked on her emotions more. That is of course what I thought lacked in Aliya’s character.

From the get-go, Laal Kabootar is as gripping as its title makes it seem. From the beginning to the end, I was completely engrossed in this simple story played out on the streets of Karachi¬¬, the city of lights. Karachi was the emblem of this whole film, with the thrill-filled portrayal of the underground world along with its ugly realities, some of which we all have faced at some point of our lives as citizens of Karachi. The ending was reasonable, logical, and was not dragged unlike a lot of other movies in the last few moments. Brownie points to the whole team for this. I hope that Pakistan’s film industry starts making more of such relatable films, which are based on the realities of our country, and less of the fantasy-based films. Despite the minor tidbits here and there, the experimental film Laal Kabootar is electrifying and dark, definitely worth a few hours of your day.

Review

SHEHRE TABASSUM Directed by: Arafat Mazhar Creative Director : Isma Gul Hasan "It's the year 2071. The new government has successfully ended years of Civil War. The country is in a permanent consolidation of peace and modernity. Every citizen is bound to keep smiling under this rule".

Shehr-e-Tabassum begins with these striking opening credits that leave the viewers hooked in the very first minute of the film with its out of the ordinary plot setting quite a tone.

The title sequence is preceded by the main opening scene that is; the first look into a dystopian Pakistan. A chaotic roadside much like today's Lahore or Karachi, with a lot of crowds, traffic, colors & lights. What was not like today's world though, were the air rickshaws, flying & communicating policing devices, live-action billboards and so much more — An epic representation of a technological future.

However, what kept this movie on the ball was not the portrayal of a futuristic world. It was its combination with the concepts of dictatorship and a story rooted in the current Pakistani landscape. A future where Pakistan has witnessed no violence or terrorism in over 3 decades, the cost of which is- the systematic subjugation of human emotion.

We see policing devices flying everywhere, communicating with citizens; repeating the new code and conduct of the state, warning them about the life and expiry of their 'hash mark' — a protective orbe-like device that covers one's whole face and is connected to the head. It is shown as a monitoring device that keeps a measure of your heart rate and other medical scales that indicate negative sentiments which might lead a citizen to express emotions other than happiness and cease to smile — which is against the law of the state.

A notable point in the theme of this film was the portrayal of capitalism which was still soaring high in 2071. Turning the desperate need of consumers to be smiling at all times into a capitalist agenda and making profits through it by manufacturing, launching and marketing products that assist in or are vital to keeping one happy and smiling.

As we move through the street further into this hand-painted motion picture, we come across a rather disturbing scene of a young boy who fails to resist the power of emotions and pays a heavy price.

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Review by Tehreem Mazhar

A very touching and the second most powerful scene of this short film, following this unsettling twist emerges a scene that allows us a peek into the years that have passed by and the turn of events that led to this revolution; making Pakistan the happiest country in the world. All by extinguishing differences of opinion, disagreements & dislikes, hate, violence, and crime through a systematized elimination of every human emotion except happiness; Forming a state where rising cortisol levels could lead citizens to commit a crime because smiling is the only acceptable expression of feelings.

Ensuing the above described daunting scene appear a few shots of this ultra-modern city painted in all sorts of captivating neons; unfolding quite a fascinating cityscape. Following this, next comes a fast-paced sequence which takes us through a bunch of different locations from a colorful & bright desi wedding celebration in full swing to a dimly lit, shabby street corner housing cat callers - leading us to the last and final scene of this short film, the most powerful scene of Sher e Tabassum. A revolution in itself, Shehr e Tabassum ends with a message of defiance and resistance.

It is an extraordinary work of art that will surely pave the way for Animators in Pakistan and push filmmakers towards being open to unique genres such as dystopia.

The hard work of team Shehr-e-Tabassum is visible in every detail of the movie from its visuals & graphics to the script and music; making it a remarkable creation indeed.

Coming to the creators, this short film was brought to the screen by a team of 20 members comprising of animators, writers, musicians, and actors over a period of 1.5 years. According to the producers, this movie has been written, drawn, animated, acted, and composed - all under one roof i.e Puffball Studios, A creative studio based in Lahore. The concept behind Shehr e Tabassum was birthed by Ayesha Iftikhar and Arafat Mazhar who also directed and co-produced the film with Rasti Farooq.

The Lead Animator is HaseebRehman and Creative Director Isma Gul Hasan.

Including the mentioned names and more, these talented and passionate young Pakistanis have created an outstanding motion picture about Pakistan - A film worth your nine minutes.

Review

PINKY MEMSAAB Directed by: Shazia Ali Khan Written by : Shazia Ali Khan and Babar Ali “Some things are meant to be admired from afar; you go close, and it's just not the same...”

A heart-shattering realization that dawns upon Mehr, an elite character of the film, says these lines that make the movie pretty self-explanatory. Pinky Memsaab gave us some whiplash moments through its promising story, albeit with some sketchy direction.

Restlessly brilliant, Pinky Memsaab is the epitome of half-hearted promises relying on flickers of hope that will keep you on the edge. The movie lures you in for just another day throughout the story, making you yearn for something less heart breaking. Taking Shazia Ali Khan, director and writer of the movie, through the ultimate rollercoaster of the Lollywood industry, between debuting as a true director that values the art lingering in the ground realities of expatriates' lives and wanting nothing but business out of making a plain old commercial movie like Jawani Phir Nahi Aani, Pinky Memsaab is the gem that received harsh critique after its release in December of 2018.

This exhilarating story set in Dubai revolves around Mehr, a gorgeous socialite who lives by the mesmerizing beaches of Jumeirah, and Pinky, a naive and easily fascinated girl who sets out for a job of a maid in Dubai to help the finances of her family back in rural Punjab.

So far so good, for the starters seems like critics were hoping for a strong plot and a firm storyline that gives the audience a great example of empowering women who bring moral support and inspiration in each others' lives. Turns out that Pinky Memsaab held a lot more than just wishful thinking. The movie portrays the complex characters in such ambiguity that you can never truly know what they are made of.

Mehr, whose routine includes social gatherings, shopping, and partying all night, portraying the lives of Dubai expats, struggles to maintain a career as a writer who can't seem to get a grip on the pen again. She's the perfect definition of a trophy wife who's running out of time while the audience expects something much more significant from her.

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Review by Ghaniya Shaikh

On the other hand, Pinky aspires to walk in the steps of her memsaab, not knowing what she's getting into and quickly adapts to the high-end lifestyle when Mehr warms up to her. The plot held a solid authenticity as the screen entertained a commendable bond between the main characters.

Somewhere around the interval though, the whole plot takes a 180-degree turn. From then on, the movie smashes headfirst into blurred lines and slow drags.

According to the critics, the only character that lived up to the label of a strong woman as promised by the trailer is Kulsoom, a bar dancer in the shady clubs of downtown Dubai. She enlightens Pinky with the tragic truth about how impossible survival is for a woman who knows no better in a society that declares women as mere commodities.

I'm all for the unexpected dramatics but on a serious note, upon asking Khan why she made such a subtle indie film rather than a commercial one for her debut direction, she said, "The main thing I was trying to depict through Pinky Memsaab is that life is not black and white. The characters in my film are also not stock characters but rather ones deeply enriched by shades of grey. Dubai often gets stereotyped as a 'pleasure palace' of sorts for people that have money and want to live the high life but the reality on the ground is far more diverse and there are so many more of those stories to tell.

“In a way, it is my story. I don't mean that the details of my life are reflected in the film but rather the flavor and treatment of the story carry the spirit of the life I am used to. We see a lot of movies that are exceptionally entertaining but deep down you intuitively feel that it's devoid of reality. Pinky Memsaab, hopefully, will prove to be one of the exceptions to the rule."

Every review I read seemed to be chasing after a life-changing story or a wishful depiction through this movie, calling it highly "unprofessional and lost at the end." It only makes sense if I put myself in the shoes of these people who watched the movie with shallow expectations of a blooming romance or ridiculous

Review

unfortunate events. Little did they know, Pinky Memsaab is as subtle and unobtrusive as life actually is. The characters fail to realize when they made mistakes and where they fell short in correcting their flaws just like we can't tell the difference between yesterday and tomorrow in our beloved lashkarizubaan, Urdu "This is what Pakistani films should be doing, blazing their path, not trying to copy Indian films. Mediocre originality is better than the best copy."

"The direction was amazing. And so was the script. The nuances of life in Jumeira versus the other side of Dubai were depicted so profoundly. I couldn't help but think how much Pakistani cinema has matured both technically and in storytelling. I thoroughly enjoyed it."

"Life is all about discovering itself...there are no fixed rights or wrongs. Pinky memsaab established that once again...beautiful film."

Those who couldn't grasp the true notion of the film chased after one too many basic presumptions on a whimsical grind wanting a straight path to walk their train of thought on. Such ideas ran after exemplars of women empowerment and social class differences being shaken and broken to prove a point that these stereotypes are not true when in reality they are. The scheme Khan defined through Pinky Memsaab bounces back and forth between desolation and ecstatic life events.

"This is a complete Dubai story which will resonate with all the expats here. It shows how we juggle our lives here and how many may want to go back, but there's so much pressure to remain here from back home. Mehr thinks she's this perfect socialite, but she has her own set of insecurities...It's a realistic film," said Kiran Malik.

The director/writer of the indie film tipped us off with the telltales of what the commercial audience wanted the film to be. "Production houses wanted a lot of masala in it. While they loved the script, they wanted a particular star to be cast in it. They wanted a couple of wedding scenes and a song also thrown in, while I always love a good commercial film, this is not what the script of Pink Memsaab demanded. I defied them all," said Shazia Ali Khan.

My two cents: Having watched the movie at the cinema theatre, unprepared for what awaited me, I had my share of tear-jerking moments. As much as I loved the music for such a beautifully shot indie movie, the aesthetics were truly taking me out. But I think sometimes we, as artists, forget to capture the truth in some restless and desperate chase of success and fame. The writer scribbled such a brilliant masterpiece that stood out to me as unorthodox and palpable in contrast to a million commercially hit movies because not only she wrote it herself but she chose to live it first.

The movie wasn't profoundly compelling for me, rather a gradual reminder of the atrocities that we put ourselves through blaming it all on time and the universe combined. This movie made me think about how much our decisions matter in deciding not only our future but the bonds we have with other people. I could resonate with the subtle shattering of bonds between the characters, knowing that it hardly ever goes our way when we're drowned in the insecurities of not being “enough� for those who are around us. See, your art doesn't always have to please everyone who bears a glance at it.

The film stands as individually powerful and poignant amid many movies made to chase the impossible idea of what reality truly is.

Despite lacking a few things here and there, I think it is only fair that we get used to living like a part of us is missing since we do leave our bits and pieces in the people we meet and the places we go; just like the characters in Pinky Memsaab.

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Sumbul Rizvi & Komal Ishtiaq

Self Expression

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Photography

Self Expression

We have to cross through the darkness to reach the light because where there is light, there is hope.

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Through these images, I've tried to show optimism.

This pandemic has us all battling our demons but what's important is for us to gather the courage to slay them once and for all. Or in some cases, embrace them.

Abdul Rehman

Self Expression

Before I tell you this story, I must ask you to picture the following example. Imagine spending days. No, imagine spending weeks without talking to anyone.

Imagine turning the tv on with great anticipation, just to hear someone else’s voice. Imagine staring out the window, watching your neighbors getting on with their lives, reminiscing of a time when your life was filled with the joy which you're now deprived of.

Through these images, I've tried to show optimism.

This pandemic has us all battling our demons but what's important is for us to gather the courage to slay them once and for all. Or in some cases, embrace them.

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Is this solitude, Or is it loneliness? I’ve always heard that solitude is often deemed as a privilege while loneliness is seen as a curse. That being said, being unhappy while alone is a fairly modern idea among millennials.

Self Expression

People ask me why I feel the way I feel, what makes me say the things I say. Little do they know it didn’t just develop overnight. It took time; experiences, betrayals accumulating this fear in me. Being let down by people, scared of letting new ones in. My fears and anxiety pushed away those who cared, those who were beautiful in a way no modern beauty standard can describe, those who were mine.

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Photography

Along this journey of self-acceptance and figuring out what is all around me, I realized that I'm driving myself off a cliff. I realized that I cannot be helped unless I start helping myself. Shutting myself off from my exterior surface to have some peaceful moments of solitude didn’t help my ongoing loneliness. Change comes from within. It's changing that helps us get back up and move forward with the intent of coming out of our suffocating bubble. Change can mean a lot of things for a lot of different people. For me, the mere act of trying to do better is a change in itself.

People ask me why I feel the way I feel, what makes me say the things I say. Little do they know it didn’t just develop overnight. It took time; experiences, betrayals accumulating this fear in me. Being let down by Words by people, scared of letting new ones in. My fears and Anusha Aazar anxiety pushed away those who cared, those who were beautiful in a way no modern beauty standard Photographs bythose who were mine. can describe,

Hunzila Junaid

Self Expression

I remember how I captured t swing, I was all done while m a piece of paper as if th

I took out my camera, look just started randomly cap something I like to do for fu think of something o

25/2/2

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this one. The class was in full my friends scribbled away at heir lives depended on it.

ked into the viewfinder, and pturing each moment. It's un. Something that helps me other than life as it is.

2020

Syeda Fatima Hasany

Self Expression

"When we are no longer able to change the world, we are challenged to change ourselves".

Viktor E. Frankl.

These days life has challenged these fishermen.

They are unable to do the one thing they so desperately need to do to do right by their families. Fishing. Consequently, they have found another way to fulfill their needs. They go to the nearest mangroves island to catch crabs. They can't use boats so they are totally on their own. They swim in high tides to reach the island and they hunt their prey through a hook and a stick.

I took a black and white picture to show uncolored visuals of life. The Urdu phrase, " Rangeen Duniya ki berangingi" describes my work perfectly. In this picture, the sea represents chaos while the straight figure of men represents calmness. It is an innovative mind that prevails when everyone seems to think they're completely out of choices. There's always a choice. If there isn't, you're not thinking hard enough.

Saqib Ali

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Self Expression

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Self Expression

These trying times seem to have brought out the best in people, or the worst. Which one are you?

Do your rose-colored glasses still find a place on your nose now and then? Or has the pandemic opened your eyes, as well as your heart, to the suffering and drastic changes in the lives of those around you?

Words by

Safa Batool Photography by

Shahmir Khan

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Something barren. Something dark.

A lonely traveller, in a work of art

Self Expression

A place so confined. but a place that was home to the person at the wheel, now he drives alone

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Dwellers of the city’s heart. outside looking in An unsual paradox, unsettling akin

Dwellers of the city’s heart. outside looking in An unsual paradox, unsettling akin

Self Expression

Something foreboding. but to once had belonged murmurs of life, caged bird’s song

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Someone fragile. something strong A pillar oft-forgotten. surely not gone

Self Expression

Calloused hands, and a foundation in the making Now drawr to halt, a man on the verge of breaking

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And moments to reflect, a time to have a chat With the man in the mirror, awaited you long he had

Talha Sheikh

Self Expression

Feature

Halah Khan My work focusses on exploring the unseen expanses of the human mind and experience seeking an honest mirror for our cloaked faces. It is a pilgrimage into the unknown depths of self, inspired by surrealist practices of awakening the subconscious mind.

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Self Expression

Feature

Halah Khan My work focusses on exploring the unseen expanses of the human mind and experience seeking an honest mirror for our cloaked faces. It is a pilgrimage into the unknown depths of self, inspired by surrealist practices of awakening the subconscious mind.

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Self Expression

Feature

Syeda Warda Batool

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Self Expression

Feature

Maha Nauman

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Maha Nauman

I have been very interested in tarot cards for a while now, more for their design than for their meaning honestly since I'm not a big believer in fortune telling etc however the art on the back of these cards has always fascinated me. I had been wanting to make my own version for a while and I finally had the opportunity to make them for a dear friend's birthday. A deck usually has 78 cards but I did some research and picked out the cards with the most positive meanings and related them to experiences/people from real life as inspiration for the illustrations on the back.

Self Expression

Hasan Raza 116

Feature

Self Expression

Nasar Kazmi 118

Feature

NAQSH EDITORIAL TEAM Project Head Syeda Sundeela Fayyaz

Editor In-Chief Mariam Zulfiqar Kazi Managing Editor Shumail Rizvi Executive Editor Qasim Hasnain Creative Editor Hammad Hanif Art Director Sumbul Rizvi

Layout Designers

Writers

Art Team

Usman Noor Dureshahwar Iftikhar

Fatima Mirza Maham Ali Komal Ishtiaq Behram Farooqui

Safaa Batool

Tehreem Mazhar Syeda Fatima Hasany Neha Faheem Ghaniya Shaikh Aleeshbah Sarhandi Areesha Mirza Ibrahim Sabir Umm e Habiba Khan Mahnoor

Editors

Contributors

Anum Siddique Anusha Aazar Zainab Hassan

Shanzay Amir Yusra Shamim Talha sheikh

Feature Designer Mohid Khan Copy Editor

Photographers Abdul Rehman Hunzila Junaid Social Media Team Khadija Siddiqi Eesha Parvez

Issue 01 SELF EXPRESSION