Staff. “Miniatures Portray Individual Stories.” Daily Times, March 12, 2012. http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\03\12\story_12-32012_pg11_8
Miniatures portray individual stories ISLAMABAD: To commemorate its 10th anniversary, the Islamabad Serena Hotel has launched a major initiative of supporting arts under the SerenArts programme. The programme is dedicated to actively supporting local artists, musicians, artisans and their crafts, thereby promoting Pakistani culture and traditions. The first step towards this is the opening of the new art gallery at the hotel. Satrang Gallery is opening with a group show – Breaking the Mould, an exhibition of contemporary miniature. Ten artists from across Pakistan are displaying their amazing work. Miniature art is an important and unique art practice, which is flourishing in the subcontinent. The exhibition is curated by Zahra Khan, an International Relations and Fine Arts degree holder from the University of Pennsylvania, who currently works at the Ronald Feldman Fine Arts Gallery in New York. Zahra feels passionately about promoting contemporary art and has put together an amazing show of work by 10 miniature artists of Pakistan. “Contemporary Miniature is showcasing this age-old art with modern thought and composition representing the creative expertise that is on the rise in Pakistan,” saya Zahra. Contemporary Miniature is an integral part of South Asian art culture. This is an art tradition that has been passed down from the intricate and brightly coloured illustrations of ancient Persian poetry like Divon-e Hafez to the glorious official histories of the Mughal courts, like Padshahnama and finally down to these young contemporary artists who utilise this art form to carve out and cement their position in art history. These miniaturists break away from the technical regulations of traditional miniature which, among other rules, specify that thin layers of gouache paint be applied to handmade Wasli paper, to create vibrant narratives that are surrounded by definite borders. These artists have also chosen to deviate from the themes of traditional miniature, which include war, grandeur and love; instead they reveal their individual stories on a human scale. Noureen Rasheed employs vivid colours to depict landscapes, confined within customary miniature borders, which she embellishes with technological elements such as laptops and trucks. Similarly, Amna Hashmi’s Manga Miniature Pieces create delicately crafted fantastical narratives by merging miniature with Japanese Manga paintings. Other artists present more serious themes such as death or illness. Hifza Khan’s artwork,
which was partly inspired by the death of her mother, includes ECG readings and body organs. Attiya Shaukat’s pieces portray restrictive scenarios or figures that are bound by braces, echoing the artist’s own limitations. By building multiple scenarios through superimposing several representations of miniature narration on to a single painting, Shiblee Munir’s art challenges the banality of singular visions and conventional subject matter. Similarly, Sumaira Tazeen critiques cultural marriage customs in her work when she represents marriage through a gilt trunk filled with a lace sofa and bright silk cushions. Artists often investigate miniature art by pursuing sculptural techniques. Memoona Riaz bridges the divide between sculpture and drawing, when she examines urbanisation in her pieces. Riaz utilises complex layering to combine transparent, disconnected architectural realms and produce amalgamated forms. Sahyr Sayed explores the concept of the perfect home via sculptural miniatures by constructing miniature dollhouses filled with familial clutter. Some artists follow specific themes and narratives. Nizakat Ali Depar is inspired by the journeys he has taken. This particular body of work presents portraits painted upon used train tickets, thus tracing his emotional and mental journey from his hometown in Jamshoro to the bustling city of Lahore. pr