We the People We the Arts by UN Information Centre Pakistan

WE THE PEOPLES WE THE ARTS

Promoting zero hunger through visual arts

“We the Peoples, We the Arts” was produced by the United Nations Information Centre, the Swiss Embassy, and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. Producer: Myrah Nerine Butt Editor: Ashley Bedard Graphic Design: Mirko Neri

In partnership with

Sunderlande

With the financial support of

Published by the United Nations Information Centre – November 2016 Islamabad, Pakistan

WE THE PEOPLES WE THE ARTS Promoting zero hunger through visual arts

In 2016, the Embassy of Switzerland marks the 50th year of its cooperation with Pakistan through the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). On the occasion of this anniversary, the SDC joined forces with United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) to promote the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Pakistan through visual arts. The SDGs were set by the UN member countries to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all over the next 15 years. Art is an ideal channel for ensuring that young people are fully aware of them and take themselves a leading role in their promotion. This competition involved young artists studying in the following five art schools of Pakistan: National College of Arts Rawalpindi, Department of Art and Design at the University of Peshawar, National College of Arts Lahore, Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture, and the Department of Visual Studies at the University of Karachi. We asked students to develop artwork, using the mediums of sculpture, painting, or miniature painting, to highlight the SDG on â&#x20AC;&#x153;zero hungerâ&#x20AC;?. All entries have been judged using the same criteria: creativity, composition, theme and technique. The competition was carried out in two phases. In the first phase, a jury comprised of mentors and the university representatives selected the pieces. These are the pieces reflected in this catalogue. In the second phase, a jury comprised of Swiss and international art experts, the Embassy of Switzerland and the United Nations selected a winner for each category.

FOREWORD SWITZERLAND AND PAKISTAN 8 9

• The power of art • 50 years of SDC in Pakistan

UNITED NATIONS, YOUTH AND ZERO HUNGER 10 11 12 13

• • • •

The UN and the youth in Pakistan Youth and art for social change Zero hunger: Our future begins with food Youth and the challenge of hunger

THE JURY 14 15 16 17

• • • •

Art and humanity Art and discourse Art as a Connection Art and expression

THE ART SCHOOLS 18 19 20 21 22

• • • • •

Art as creative challenge Art as a language Around the world in art Artists as leaders Perceiving the world through art

MINIATURE PAINTING Donations • Construct or deconstruct • Bhook • There are plenty more fish in the sea • The thin line • The evanescent strawberry • Dine in or take away •

24 26 28 30 32 34 36

PAINTING The invisible thief • Mobile crops • The two sides • Untitled • Absolute hunger • Self fulfillment • Rizq • Enlightenment • Hazaaron khawhishien aisi • Dure hunger •

38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56

SCULPTURE Unwanted scraps • Generosity • Faiz ul mawaid • The feed • Power of skills • Dig •

58 60 62 64 66 68

SWITZERLAND AND PAKISTAN

FOREWORD

A key purpose of politics is to foster new and better opportunities for young people and future generations. We must take measures to better understand the hopes and expectations of young people. It is an objective of Swiss foreign policy to empower youth and encourage them to affect change through political, social, economic and artistic pursuits. Switzerland seeks to support young people to become ready to assume responsibility and participate in shaping this changing world. Artistic expression – in this case through the joint Swiss and UN initiative “We the Peoples, We the Arts” – can create space for reflection, self-criticism, and debate. We all have a responsibility to our society, our country, and our planet. And we all need to work together if we are to meet today’s challenges and ensure prosperity, security, and the protection of human rights – which includes equal opportunities for women and minorities. We rely on young people, like these young artists, to build tomorrow’s world. Hunger and malnutrition remain major challenges in this world. Sufficient and adequate food is a human right. But some 800 million people are still chronically undernourished. The Sustainable Development Goals adopted in New York by the General Assembly of the UN aim for Zero Hunger by 2030. Switzerland has been committed from the outset to the development of this agenda and has helped shape its content. We rely on the creativity and energy of youth as well as on their passion for dialogue and finding cooperative solutions to move this agenda forward. With the art competition among five art colleges in Pakistan on the theme of “Zero Hunger”, Switzerland seeks to both raise awareness for this important issue and empower young artists. We have launched this initiative together with the UN Information Centre to mark the 50th anniversary of development cooperation between Switzerland and Pakistan. I would like to thank everyone involved in supporting this initiative. And I wish to commend all participants for their creative contributions and for their engagement to promote the objective of “Zero Hunger”.

DIDIER BURKHALTER Federal Councillor Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs Switzerland

Art has played a powerful role in shaping our history. Not only have artistic expressions been used to portray religious, gender, political, class, and other perspectives, but art has also been used to influence society by changing opinions and social values. In 1916, a group of artists in Zurich began the artistic and literary movement called Dada as a protest against the bourgeois nationalist and colonialist interests, which many Dadaists believed were the root cause of the war. The wildly diverse outputs of the DADA movement, ranging from performance art to poetry, photography, sculpture, painting, and collage, would go on to influence many artists and contributed to the beginning of post-modern art. On a journey through the Swiss artistic and cultural scene, you will encounter names such as Thomas Mann, Hermann Hesse, Le Corbusier, Ferdinand Hodler and Alberto Giacometti. The abundance of places where art can be admired or bought is a typically Swiss feature. There is no other country with as many museums per head of the population as Switzerland. Another favorite destination is the highly renowned, “Art Basel”, which attracts every year large crowds of art lovers from around the world. As a country where diverse traditions and cultures meet and interact, Switzerland has been a melting-pot in the heart of Europe since times immemorial. By and large, the arts in Switzerland are just as diverse as the country itself. I encounter such diversity also in Pakistan. Hence, I am very pleased a link between the Swiss and Pakistani art world could be created by including Swiss and international art experts in the final jury of “We the Peoples, We the Arts”. The publication of this beautifully produced catalogue, commemorating 50 years of Swiss Development Cooperation in Pakistan, is a moment of joy and satisfaction for me. The idea of engaging the youth in a competition is not only to encourage their talent, but also to vividly capture and make visible to a wider audience the distress caused by hunger, poverty and environment that affects more than 281 million people in South Asia. This initiative reflects the Swiss Government’s commitment and support to our partners to jointly overcome the global challenge of hunger and poverty around the world. The visual narratives are reflections of obstacles and challenges that MARC P. GEORGE come as a result of hunger and malnutrition - creating beauty Ambassador of Switzerland and hope amid despair and allowing others to advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves. to Pakistan It is my pleasure to acknowledge the extensive assistance received from the leading art institutions of Pakistan and the active participation of young talented artists for contributing in our shared efforts to eradicate hunger globally by 2030. Also I would like to thank the sponsoring Swiss companies Nestlé, Novartis and Syngenta, as well as Serena Hotels, which enthusiastically supported this project and helped to make it possible for all of us to share and enjoy the creations of the young and talented Pakistani artists present in this publication.

THE POWER OF ART

SWITZERLAND AND PAKISTAN

50 YEARS OF SDC IN PAKISTAN

In 2016, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) marks 50 years of cooperation in Pakistan. The first agreement on technical and scientific cooperation between Switzerland and Pakistan was signed in 1966. The SDC is Switzerland’s international cooperation agency within the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and is responsible for the overall coordination of development cooperation and humanitarian aid delivered by the Swiss Confederation. For the last 50 years, the SDC has contributed to alleviating poverty in Pakistan STEFANIE BURRI and empowering people by strengthening governance, Head of Cooperation and enhancing rural development and livelihoods. The SDC was one of the first development partners to initiate developSwiss Agency ment projects in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and the Federally Adfor Development ministered Tribal Areas (FATA), focusing in the initial years on forestry and agriculture. The SDC has also provided extensive humanitarian and Cooperation (SDC) assistance in the form of emergency relief, reconstruction, rehabilitation, and preparedness activities for natural disasters. Looking forward, under the new Country Strategy 2017-2020, the SDC will focus its engagement in the areas of water governance and local state building in the FATA and KP - aligned to national and provincial strategies. With the art competition, ‘We the People, We the Arts’, the SDC marks it’s 50 years presence in a creative way by supporting young Pakistani artists. Art students from Pakistani universities were invited to develop sculptures, miniature paintings or paintings on the theme of “zero hunger”— a Sustainable Development Goal. We encouraged the young artists to think out of the box and create artwork that would raise questions on how ‘zero hunger’ can be achieved. Pakistan is a country with a dynamic and diverse culture, especially with respect to cultural heritage, artistic expression, and creativity. “Culture and Development” is an integral part of the SDC’s development work. We specifically focus on exchange of different cultures, and support to arts and culture in our partner countries, including Pakistan. We believe culture can make a unique and significant contribution to the various Sustainable Development Goals, including for instance democratic transition and peacebuilding. We hope that the involvement of youth through this art project will encourage them to take a leading role in the promotion of Sustainable Development Goals in Pakistan. In the end, Switzerland through this art competition also aims to bring in limelight the creative, artistic and innovative skills of the Pakistani youth. For this purpose we have invited Swiss and international art experts to the jury of this competition. This provides important exposure to the talented young artists by facilitating their access to the international, especially the Swiss, art and culture markets and networks. We hope that the young artists will make use of the opportunities, experiences, recognition, financial support and professional contacts that this competition will provide. It is a delight to see all these thought-provoking and exciting art pieces. I congratulate all the artists for their commitment, hard work and excellent contribution, and would like to wish them all the very best for the future. 9

The world now has more young people than ever before, with 46 per cent of the world’s population under the age of 25. This presents a unique opportunity for developing innovative solutions for peace and development. The vast majority of young people around the world are practical idealists with strong values who have a commitment to peace and dignity for all. They are agents of change in their communities and societies. The United Nations is strongly committed to working not just for youth, but with youth. The first ever Special Envoy for Youth was appointed in 2013, and in 2016 former Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann was appointed as the Special Envoy for Youth Employment. Recently, the first class of 17 Young Leaders for the Sustainable Development Goals was named. These young men and women are doing outstanding work in their communities, and will now help us mobilize their peers across the world. Young peacebuilders will serve as role models as we continue to push for young women and men to be fully included in the peace and security agenda. In Pakistan, several UN agencies are working with youth and studies are being conducted to better understand the needs of the country’s youth. Our work with young people includes substance abuse prevention, promoting positive healthy behavior, involving them in research and innovation interventions and training them on sustainable entrepreneurship. We use social media to raise awareness of sensitive issues like menstrual hygiene management and gender-based violence, and we use sports as a tool for advocating peace and development among youth. With the UN Wall campaign, we empower Pakistani youth to showcase a positive image of their country by writing messages that reflect UN values, with a focus on education, gender equity, hunger, climate change, health, peace and tolerance, and volunteerism. Now , through “We the Peoples, We the Arts”, we have asked young artists in Pakistan to help us promote SDG 2: Zero hunger through sculpture, painting, and miniature painting, and the results are powerful. These talented young artists reflect through art how youth are taking a leading role in promoting the Sustainable Development Goals in Pakistan.

THE UN AND YOUTH IN PAKISTAN

UNITED NATIONS, YOUTH, AND ZERO HUNGER

YOUTH AND ART FOR SOCIAL CHANGE VITTORIO CAMMAROTA Director United Nations Information Centre

Pakistan is a nation of deep complexity and rich diversity. With such a large youth population, the country has tremendous opportunities for growth and prosperity. However, underlying intergenerational dynamics surrounding power, respect, trust and identity have left youth in many communities voiceless and unable to participate in defining and pursuing a future they want. We at the United Nations strongly believe that young people are valuable assets to any country. Investing in youth brings remarkable social and economic benefits and has the potential to address the root causes of conflict. There is now greater recognition that young people are not just the future, they are the present of their country’s development. But there is still a long way to go to realize this potential and we must all work towards involving youth in our work. Young people are innovative and creative problem solvers, and they are the key to helping communities and improving the long-term well being of all citizens. We must continue to encourage initiatives that engage and empower youth, as they are a source of social cohesion that will help Pakistan navigate difficult times and achieve a better future for all.

We also believe young people can help us actively promote and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Pakistan. We chose the medium of visual arts as it is a universal language that can reach a larger number of people. The “We the Peoples, We the Arts” competition has empowered youth to highlight serious social issues within Pakistan through their art, and it has given them a much-needed voice. It has also given young artists in Pakistan visibility, recognition and international exposure for their work. We are happy to present the work of young Pakistani artists who are helping to promote the theme of zero hunger as we aim to end all forms of hunger and malnutrition by 2030.

The youth of Pakistan is the future of Pakistan, which is why it is so important that they play an active role in helping achieve Zero Hunger in the country. By investing in young people and educating them in the benefits of eating healthy and having a nutritious diet, we help to break the cycle of malnutrition - giving the youth of Pakistan better opportunities for a more prosperous future. WFP is honoured to be partnering with the Government of Pakistan on nutrition activities which are an integral part of the country’s Strategic Vision 2025. WFP has been involved with school feeding for a very long time, which is an integral part of our Nutrition programme, and has shown clear evidence of the positive long-term impact it makes to a child’s ability to learn and develop. One of the very successful activities of our school feeding programme is a children’s art competition where youngsters are asked to express their thoughts about eating well and what healthy eating means. Over the years, WFP has received amazing art work from children all over the world, including Pakistan, and it is very powerful to see and read about the art they create. WFP promotes their work through our annual calendar and it is a great way to demonstrate how art can help send strong messages. As we prepare for the next children’s art competition with the theme “ZERO HUNGER: Our future begins with food”, it is a good moment to STEVEN GLUNING reflect on how powerful art can be to effectively communicate and, in our case, how it can help promote Acting Country Director the importance of good nutrition to help achieve World Food Programme (WFP) zero hunger in Pakistan.

Pakistan

ZERO HUNGER: OUR FUTURE BEGINS WITH FOOD

UNITED NATIONS, YOUTH, AND ZERO HUNGER

YOUTH AND THE CHALLENGE OF HUNGER PATRICK T. EVANS Country Representative Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

Art is essential in human development. Art inspires, art stimulates, art opens one’s eyes and mind to new realities. Art should be supported and encouraged by Governments to motivate and inspire creativity among its people. At the rural level, art is extremely important in schools to stimulate the imaginations of children and to open new opportunities for their futures. Development follows art. A world without art is dead.

Pakistan is a relatively large country, however only 25 per cent of its area is arable with the majority being rangeland. However, the agriculture lands of Pakistan, nursed by the Indus River, are very productive. Surplus production of the stable crop of wheat has been recorded annually in recent years. Production of fruits and vegetables continue to rise and the country is a food exporting country. In addition to crop production, livestock rearing is practiced by the majority of the population and is essential for food security. The challenge across the varied landscapes of Pakistan is access to sufficient food to meet everyone’s nutritional needs throughout the year. Many people are poor, many are landless, and the population continues to rise at an alarming rate with nearly 200 million people currently estimated. There is undernourishment, there is malnutrition, there is stunting, and there is basic food insecurity for too many people. Until food and nutrition security are realized for the people of Pakistan, “Zero Hunger” must be on the agenda and actively addressed.

Youth are the future of Pakistan and both malnourishment and food insecurity are undermining that future. The most recent UNICEF survey has highlighted the sad fact that some 40 per cent of children are born stunted, seriously harming their future potential. Action is required from all sides, and youth especially must be informed and involved if these problems are to be solved within any reasonable timeframe. Again, youth are the future and we all need to invest in them. Good education for all boys and girls is essential for the future of this country.

“Art is a path towards humanity.” These inexorable words were spoken by Pakistan-born, Hazara artist, Khadim Ali, when I asked him what an initiative like ‘We the Peoples, We the Arts’ would have meant to him as an art student in Pakistan. “It would have meant everything. If a child like me can be given the opportunity to study art in Karachi, Lahore, or Islamabad, then that makes me think anyone can achieve anything. Through art we can value our shared humanity and improve conditions for others.” Ali was raised in Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan high in the mountains on the border with Afghanistan. Growing up in challenging circumstances with few luxuries, Ali recalls having no television or radio; instead listening to his grandfather sing the Shahnameh — or Book of Kings — the epic Persian poem from c. 977-1010 that would later inform his own practice. In the late 1990s Ali successfully applied for a scholarship to study art at the National College of Arts (NCA), Lahore. Like many young artists, his decision was not widely supported. Ali recounts the laughter and discouragement of family associates who commented to his father, “you grow a tree to get the fruit and you are wasting your tree.” Ali explained to me that the first year at NCA was difficult. He did not know the language and struggled to adjust to the radically different pace in the city. It was through mentorship by artist Imran Qureshi, and encouragement from teachers such as Selima Hashmi, that he persevered and came to realize a different life as an artist. Combining traditional and contemporary art processes, Ali has now forged an international career, with his work exhibited in exhibitions and institutions such as the Asia Pacific Triennial (2006), Brisbane; Biennale di Venezia (2009); British Museum, London (2010), and Documenta 13, Kassel (2013). I advocate that the proverbial fruit tree has not been wasted in the story of Ali. Ali intersects both areas of my professional work. He was a 2015 artist ALEXIE GLASS-KANTOR in residence at Artspace, Sydney — of which I am Executive Director — and an exhibiExecutive Director, ted artist at Art Basel | Hong Kong, where I curate Encounters, the sector dedicated to institutional scale, site-specific installations. Arts are a way of investing in rich Artspace Sydney cultural and historical knowledge and to critically explore the movement and Curator, Encounters migration of ideas; they are also an important discursive platform to engage with issues surrounding concepts of development and sustainability. Art Basel Hong Kong Art Basel provides a space to support and encourage innovation as well as expand the vocabulary of what art is and where it has come from. It also encourages diversity through a rich offering of critical platforms for the exhibition of work by both emerging and established artists from developing regions. Since its establishment in 2013, Art Basel | Hong Kong has demonstrated a significant commitment towards the development of the art market across the Asia-Pacific, where artists themselves re-define the art market through experimentation and consequently expand its parameters. Artists from South Asia and in particular countries such as Pakistan, Myanmar, India, and Bangladesh, are increasingly gaining greater momentum and visibility in the region. Ali is one of many represented artists from this area creating ambitious and diverse works that tell unique and important stories.

ART AND HUMANITY

ART AND DISCOURSE HEIKE MUNDER Director Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst Zurich

THE JURY

“We the Peoples, We the Arts” is an exemplary project which supports young Pakistani artists and takes on the issue of hunger and undernourishment in the world through the medium of art. It aims to reflect society through art and sets its attention on supporting young talents. Also the Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst has made itself the task to embed artworks into a social and every day context to make art more tangible. I am happy to be part of this project as a jury member and see the values of the Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst reflected therein.

An attractive prospect of “We the Peoples, We the Arts” is the versatile support it offers. The project promotes the recognition of young Pakistani artists and helps them to build a social network in the art scene of Pakistan and beyond. The artists’ creative contributions also foster the awareness of hunger and undernourishment around the world. “We the Peoples, We the Arts” invites young people to engage in the community and see themselves as communicators who are able to develop new solutions and ideas for social issues. The multifaceted project showcases the diversity and variety of the art scene in Pakistan. It values art, and shows that the visual and universal language of art can produce new approaches. Art can act as a medium of exchange, reflection and creation. My essential concern as a jury member is to strengthen the appreciation of the artistic activity, and to promote the importance of an open discourse in society. It is a wonderful opportunity and honour for me to get an insight into the young art scene of Pakistan. I am curious to see how the different divisions translate the issue into their artistic practice and, subsequently, what interesting conversations will emerge.

The exchange with young artists is an important as well as fascinating aspect of my work as a gallerist. Central to this exchange is the personal dialogue about the artistic work in addition to all other kinds of themes. This exchange of ideas allows an opportunity to know the way of thinking of an artist and to understand the complexity of his or her work – both are essential in order to convey an artistic concept to a museum, a collector or an art critic. Since its foundation, Gallery Urs Meile, Beijing-Lucerne, associates itself as partner for young artists – in particular from China – and offers them a platform in order to link or expose them to the international art scene. With Beijing as a second base of our Gallery for more than 15 years, we have been working in a country that has rapidly developed and changed. Time and again, we experience that art connects worlds and opens unimagined realms of experience, for the artist as well as for the viewer. Fine art has an important role to facilitate the discussion on development policies as well as on an open social discourse.

KARIN SEIZ Co-Director Galerie Urs Meile Beijing-Lucerne

Initiatives like “We the Peoples, We the Arts” give young artists the opportunity to be noticed beyond their immediate environment, to take a stand on one of the major issues of our time, as well as to get in touch with representatives of the international art world. For me personally, the participation in the jury of “We the Peoples, We the Arts” allows a unique insight into the young art scene of Pakistan. I am very pleased to have been invited to participate in this project, which I think is groundbreaking and boosts the reception of Pakistani contemporary art – within the country as well as beyond its own borders.

ART AS A CONNECTION

ART AND EXPRESSION

THE JURY

The opportunity to support and promote the burgeoning community of contemporary artists in Pakistan is one that I relish deeply. PRIYANKA MATHEW I was first introduced to art from this region almost a dePrincipal Partner cade ago when I was the Gallery Sunderlande New York Director of Aicon Gallery, at the Former Regional Head time â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the largest international gallery showcasing South Asian Art. It was Sothebyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s India an exciting discovery as the feel of the art and Senior International was so very different from the contemporary art developing in India which I had been most Specialist of South familiar with over the years. The rigor of miniature Asian Art painting defined the format and yet the expression was engagingly contemporary. My first exploratory visit to Lahore was in 2006 where I had the good fortune to visit art colleges and artist studios and spent time in the salons of those who supported this young but enthusiastic community of artists. It infused me with energy as I felt so much that I was seeing fresh work, fresh perspectives infused with the political and socio-economic concerns of this region. It was about art but more so it was understanding a progressive perspective from a complex and often misunderstood part of the world. That was over 10 years ago and slowly but surely the rest of the world has started paying attention. Leading contemporary artists from Pakistan such as Imran Qureshi and Rashid Rana have had their art displayed at leading museums of the world and top international galleries. I have long been in awe of the contemporary artists and the schools of art education in Pakistan. They exist in defiance of the economy there and the complex political environment. Artists who chose to pursue this path have a genuine desire to express artistically and comment on the world they process, as it would be rare to get the kind of acclaim and economic gain that their counterparts get in more developed parts of the world. The result is that the art produced constantly challenges and pushes boundaries of originality. Pakistani contemporary art needs a lot more exposure to audiences outside its borders. It will contribute another perspective from this region and might bridge understandings of what is required to support the progressive factions in the country. I am delighted to see the UN and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation taking up the baton of providing a platform, promoting and supporting this space, and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m more than happy to give my time to this worthy effort. 17

Art has the power to transform entire societies, strengthen local communities and forge a sense of identity and belonging for people of all ages. “We the peoples, We the Arts”, promoting Zero Hunger through arts, is a powerful initiative by United Nations Information Centre, Islamabad. The young generation of Pakistan has great potential to spread awareness on subject matters as serious as poverty, hunger and education. Therefore, We the Peoples, We the Arts is not just a remarkable platform for the country’s youth but a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for them to participate in a project whereby they are able to raise awareness via their respective artworks. This mission is a noble attempt to support and showcase the breadth of emerging contemporary talent developing in Pakistan. The Indus Valley school of Art and Architecture is thrilled to be part of a competition that is promoting growth and culture through the arts at a more intimate level. In such instances students are able to creatively communicate with the audience their ideas on Zero Hunger. Highlighting such topics through art can help create dialogue and hence enable people to view these concerns through various perspectives. Art not only plays an important role in our day-to-day lives but it has the power to help artists in exploring and understanding political and social matters through their work. Therefore, art universities and colleges are constantly deriving new methods and ways through which students are able to creatively challenge themselves into understanding their culture and surroundings. Thorough research is then always encouraged to help students develop visuals that are accessible to audiences of all kind and strata. Art-based competitions like “We the Peoples, We the Arts” can contribute to local development and prosperity and can aid in reducing the gap between the audience, artist and artwork.

Department of Fine Art Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture

ART AS CREATIVE CHALLENGE

ART AS A LANGUAGE DURRIYA KAZI Head Department of Visual Studies University of Karachi

THE ART SCHOOLS

Established in 1951, the University of Karachi is Pakistanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest State University and has the most diverse student demographics. The Department of Visual Studies, offering degrees in Art, Design and Architecture, was established in 1999. Graduates are sought after by professional firms and art galleries, not just for their skills but because they can share their first hand experiences of the everyday concerns and desires of Pakistani citizens. The 450 art and design students may seem a drop in the ocean of the 35,000 students on campus yet they are potentially the most influential. Artists and designers can shape our aspirations and values, voice our concerns and create a bridge between tradition and the future. Art and creative expression probably offer the most effective language to communicate and interpret the complex and often confusing times we live in. In its intensely personal responses we find universal truths that underline how all of humanity is connected in some essential way. Compassion is an old-fashioned word, but that quality was never more needed in the world than today.

The theme of Zero Hunger seems an impossible dream, but nature is very generous and if societies could emulate its symbiosis there is every reason to believe prosperity can be shared for the ultimate benefit of all.

One connects to other regions in more than one ways: through social media, digital devices, communication tools, imagination and dreams. Art is like a dream, since it exists between the boundaries of real and imagined. It is also a means to explore territories unknown, unseen and unfound, because first you place a land in your head before putting your foot on it. For centuries mankind imagined stepping on the moon, till that dream and desire became a reality on 20th July 1969. Art, with it power and possibilities, makes the impossible happen; even if not in actuality, then in the realm of ideas and images. Freedom of expression and the fight against hunger are two important issues which concern everyone without the limitation of location or demarcations of age, gender, race and religion. As making art is a way to invest in future, in centuries (sometimes) the makers of art are also looking at the future, since they are conversing with generations yet to come through their words and works. Especially through a language of art that does not need a translation or transcription with the change of region or time. So it is not surprising that the most exciting works of art today are produced by artists of the younger generation. Those who have grown up in a world that was altered with the political/ethnic divide in the aftermath of 9/11, and at the same time were joined together due to the information revolution. So they trespass between local and international, regional and global, specific and general with an ease of a traveller who walks home without paying attention to marks of identification or details of direction. Thus it is normal that participants of this project from across the Pakistan interpreted the two themes in ways that turned these into human, common and shared concerns instead of treating them as landlocked issues. But like all journeys to far away places, including the moon, it begins from the ground beneath oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s feet â&#x20AC;&#x201C; at his/her home, workspace, or studio. A voyage may also happen in the form of physical displacement, in fantasy, in desire, in dream â&#x20AC;&#x201C; or in a work of art, like all that is created for We the Peoples, We are Arts!

QUDDUS MIRZA Head of Department of Fine Art National College of Arts Lahore

AROUND THE WORLD IN ART

ARTISTS AS LEADERS NADEEM OMAR TARAR Director National College of Arts Rawalpindi

THE ART SCHOOLS

There is huge potential for the cultural and creative industries of Pakistan to drive sustainable development. The creative arts and crafts sustain the livelihoods of millions of Pakistanis, both home and abroad. From folk arts to modern art, a broad range of art forms form the bedrock of the burgeoning cultural economy of Pakistan.

A pronounced youth bulge in the population, if turned into an art educated human resource, can prove to be a harbinger of much desired social change in the country. With a stress on creative thinking and inventiveness, artists are trained to question and critically explore the hidden truths. To achieve the goals of sustainable development and peace building, art education is ideally suited for the productive engagement of Pakistani youth. National College of Arts (NCA), Rawalpindi, is a premier art institution which has a mandate to educate and train Pakistani youth in the cultural and creative industries. In addition to the pedagogic goals, NCA is at the forefront of the national efforts to promote art as a vehicle of cultural diplomacy as well as a potent means of creating peace and social cohesion in the country. For us at NCA, art is a cement that binds together not only hearts and souls, but entire societies and nations, even if they are in a conflict. Artists are conversant in a universal language which allows them to convey their message across the barriers of class, gender, nationality or literacy. Not only do works of art offer an opportunity to express oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own thoughts and feelings, but they also work on the minds of the viewers, to transform their social and political consciousness. Young artists working for the cause of social change and development can reach out to the wider society, to raise awareness of the challenges confronting Pakistani society, but they can also lead the way, through their creative endeavors, to an environmentally-friendly, economically-sustainable and socially-just world.

PERCEIVING THE WORLD THROUGH ART

Education in the arts is an integral part of the development of each human being. Those who have studied learning processes throughout the ages, beginning with Plato, have emphasized the importance of the arts in the education process. Arts education refers to education in the disciplines of music, dance, theatre, and visual arts. Study in the arts is integral to our society. The arts are what make us most human, most complete as people. The arts cannot be learned through occasional or random exposure any more than math or science can. YOUNAS MASOOD Education and engagement in the fine arts are an essential part of the school curriculum and an important compoChairman/Assistant Professor nent in the educational program of every student in the department of Art and Design, Peshawar University. Sufficient data Department of Art and Design exists to overwhelmingly support the belief that study and particiUniversity of Peshawar pation in the fine arts is a key component in improving learning throughout all academic areas. Evidence of its effectiveness in reducing student dropout, raising student attendance, developing better team players, fostering a love for learning, improving greater student dignity, enhancing student creativity, and producing a more prepared citizen for the workplace for tomorrow can be found documented in studies held in many varied settings, from university campuses, to corporate Pakistan. Evidence from brain research is only one of many reasons education and engagement in fine arts is beneficial to the educational process. The arts develop neural systems that produce a broad spectrum of benefits ranging from fine motor skills to creativity and improved emotional balance. One must realize that these systems often take months and even years to fine-tune. In a study conducted by Judith Burton, Columbia University, research evidenced that subjects such as mathematics, science, and language require complex cognitive and creative capacities “typical of arts learning”. “The arts enhance the process of learning. The systems they nourish, which include our integrated sensory, attentional, cognitive, emotional, and motor capacities, are, in fact, the driving forces behind all other learning”. Perhaps the most fundamental element to education one should consider is the manner in which we perceive and make sense of the world in which we live. An effective education in the fine arts helps students to see what they look at, hear what they listen to, and feel what they touch. Engagement in the fine arts helps students to stretch their minds beyond the boundaries of the printed text or the rules of what is provable. The arts free the mind from rigid certainty. Imagine the benefits of seeking, finding, and developing multiple solutions to the myriad of problems facing our society today! These processes, taught through the study of the arts, help to develop the tolerance for coping with the ambiguities and uncertainties present in the everyday affairs of human existence. There is a universal need for words, music, dance, and visual art to give expression to the innate urgings of the human spirit. (Eisner, 1987) The premier organizations in the corporate world today recognize that the human intellect “draws from many wells.” Arts education gives access to the deepest of those wells. The fine arts also provide learners with non-academic benefits such as promoting self-esteem, motivation, aesthetic awareness, cultural exposure, creativity, improved emotional expression, as well as social harmony and appreciation of diversity. These are the very fibers of the fabric known as our Pakistani culture. 22

THE ARTWORKS

For the topic of “Zero Hunger”, I have highlighted an issue which is considered a blessing in disguise, but it doesn’t seem like one. A contemporary practice where what looks like a problem solver doesn’t solve problems but does the complete opposite. Every system of our society is flawed. Islam is a complete code of life where balance in society is stated, including to give away from what you have to the needy. When we start donating for a real cause, we can get rid of poverty and hunger.

MINIATURE PAINTING 24

DONATIONS Fatima Afridi / 21 years National College of Arts Rawalpindi

Using oil paints and acrylics, my piece shows factories and buildings that are causing destruction in the environment. Factories are rising instead of natural habitats. Like my painting has two different views, the situation can also be turned around.

MINIATURE PAINTING 26

CONSTRUCT OR DECONSTRUCT Gina Gul / 22 years Department of Visual Studies University of Karachi

Food is one of our basic needs to survive, and my miniature painting depicts an idea of how poverty has ceased to be visible by providing food to the needy. Fruits depict the idea of killing hunger and eliminating the suffering of poor people.

MINIATURE PAINTING 28

BHOOK Hadiqa Arshad / 22 years Department of Visual Studies University of Karachi

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a story in Matthew chapter 14 of one of the miracles Jesus performed during his days on earth. He fed more than 5,000 people with two fish and five loaves. At end of the story, the disciples of Jesus Christ collected 12 baskets of wasted food. In my work I brought this story forward by painting an eaten fish which is thrown on a ground. My work portrays the Bible story that shows the concept of zero hunger.

MINIATURE PAINTING 30

THERE ARE PLENTY MORE FISH IN THE SEA Razin J. Rubin / 22 years Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture

My goal for the “Zero Hunger” topic was to show that hunger can be eliminated if we provide sufficient nutrients to the malnourished. I chose wheat and an hourglass to represent this. The wheat grains pour down to the lower chamber, transforming into wheat stalks— an analogy for a gradual increase in crop yield. The two-tier structure of the hourglass questions this analogy; the wheat grain eventually finishing, resulting in hunger all over again The idea is that to create an unceasing flow of grain, it is imperative to take measures to turn the hourglass periodically. A successful system will diminish child hunger, represented by the child in the lower chamber.

MINIATURE PAINTING 32

THE THIN LINE Sabeen Ahsan / 22 years National College of Arts Lahore

In my painting, I have employed a strawberry which has been hung to dry out and perish as a symbol. A strawberry, the fruit, is a source of nutrition, its sweet and sour flavour a great pleasure. The strawberry is considered, by and large, a luxury, yet it is cultivated by the poor inhabitants of the northern areas in Pakistan. The farmers who cultivate them suffer from malnutrition and do not have access to the luxury. My painting is about that contrast.

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THE EVANESCENT STRAWBERRY Sana Zaidi / 23 years National College of Arts Rawalpindi

The highest form of knowledge one can encompass is empathy. My work illustrates a rather universal language of human need. To create something with the utmost positivity for such a heartfelt, sobering reality is something I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do. In fact, I have merely created the optical delusion of self vs. reality. It is an amalgamation of what it is and isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. We often forget the sad realities that demark many amongst us, weakening them, demoralizing or even suffocating them.

MINIATURE PAINTING 36

DINE IN OR TAKE AWAY Sehrish Mustafa / 22 years National College of Arts Lahore

Food is to human beingsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; need to survive what water is to rain. Among the most prominent issues facing humankind today, hunger tops the list. One may like to think that manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest enemy is man himself, but that is not entirely true. My painting depicts hunger, and ants, shown taking away food, symbolize the cause of poverty. While human beings can see the food being taken away, they do nothing to stop the action. The result is famine and deficiency of food.

PAINTING 38

THE INVISIBLE THIEF Afreen Fatima / 19 years National College of Arts Rawalpindi

My painting depicts the idea of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mobile Cropsâ&#x20AC;? for non-fertile land, for the shortage of land, and for the maximum utilization of rivers and sea water to overcome famine all over the world.

PAINTING 40

MOBILE CROPS Amna Bibi / 22 years Department of Visual Studies University of Karachi

I have used two canvases, one showing hunger and the other showing the privilege other people enjoy through their economic means. But when these two canvases are combined it gives a message of â&#x20AC;&#x153;zero hungerâ&#x20AC;? and how important it is for us to find a balance to make this world a better place.

PAINTING 42

THE TWO SIDES Feroza Gulzar / 22 years Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture

Us humans only retain our individual identity if circumstances allow it. Oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s identity is our defining choices, our ambitions, our desires and the relationships we make with people and material things. But all of this melts away when you are fighting for life, struggling for the necessities every person must have. To understand this, I painted while I was fasting in the month of Ramadan as well as after I had broken my fast. This is quite apparent in my strokes and in the colours I used. During my fast I would paint slowly and my strokes tried to encompass more area, but wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t contain any details. But when I painted before sehri, there was a greed to paint as much as possible. In my piece, the objects are only somewhat recognizable because they are not painted in a crisp, defining manner. The painting seems to be in between the realistic and the abstract. The objects seem to have lost their individual substance and are melting away into the surroundings. To the viewer this might seem odd and disturbing, or depressing. But that is exactly what I wanted to convey; the characteristics of the shell of a person who is reduced to such by hunger.

PAINTING 44

UNTITLED Fizza Hussain / 21 years National College of Arts Lahore

My painting depicts a child eating books out of sheer hunger. If the basic needs of life like food and shelter are not met, education becomes a luxury. If even one basic need is not met the others are affected. My picture shows eradication of hunger through education. A stable economy is the key to attaining all those needs, since a stable economy means more jobs, sufficient income and full bellies.

PAINTING 46

ABSOLUTE HUNGER Khalid Shah Shinwari / 26 years Department of Art and Design University of Peshawar

My work is an attempt to represent hunger all across to globe. Different hand colour tones are employed to show different ethnicities. I have tried to show how hunger makes people selfish, and how one does not wish to think of others while he has an empty stomach. Snatching food is a common practice among the hunger-ridden. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve made the background vibrant for two reasons: first to represent hope for those who dwell in poverty, and second to represent the developed world while there is still hunger crippling the world.

PAINTING 48

SELF FULFILLMENT Nadia Batool / 23 years National College of Arts Rawalpindi

For the theme of “Zero Hunger”, I have tried to show this with the abstract transformation of wood planks into wheat. I chose wheat as my transformation because when we think about food the first thing that comes to our mind is “roti” as our basic need, for which wheat is the source. It acts as the whole meal to suppress and remove hunger.

PAINTING 50

RIZQ Rabia Khan / 21 years Department of Visual Studies Karachi University

Time and time again, the cry for â&#x20AC;&#x153;ilmâ&#x20AC;? can be heard reverberating throughout Pakistan, yet the groans of empty stomachs and painful cries for bread seem to be unheard. It is foolish to constantly try to enforce education and zero hunger in a state where even the most basic human need is considered luxury. The growl of an empty stomach drowns out other issues and reduces man to a state of an animal. It is crucial for us to first and foremost eliminate all forms of hunger from this world to achieve a healthy population which can be effectively educated and become more productive than ever possible before.

PAINTING 52

ENLIGHTENMENT Tooba Ashraf / 22 years National College of Arts Lahore

Food is getting expensive day by day and it is out of reach of many people. My piece portrays the feeling and experience of children when they receive even a small amount of food and become very grateful for what they got.

PAINTING 54

HAZAARON KHAWHISHIEN AISI Zainab Abdul Hussain / 21 years Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture

My painting depicts the miserable life of a fetus in its maternal home, the womb of mother who has fallen prey to famine which in turn has adversely affected the health of a baby who deserves a good and healthier life. The painting is coloured with warm colours like red, yellow and brown to show the frailty of the fetus in the famine-stricken motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s womb, and also to portray human misery. Red shows the womb under transmission of light through flesh. Warm colours show life beating in veins but how that life is frail, deadly, alarming.

PAINTING 56

DURE HUNGER Zakir Ali / 27 years Department of Art and Design University of Peshawar

Little bits and pieces fuse together to make something monumental, something solid, something concrete. If putrid flesh did not decay and vanish from the street but instead sat forever in front of our eyes, a constant reminder of our careless indulgence, the world would be a bit different. Would we maybe be a bit more cautious of picking up another knife, slitting yet another throat? The world in my view is in need of a mother, one who will not let anyone get up without finishing their meals, vegetables and all. One who wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stand for scraps being thrown under the table, because someone, somewhere needs every little bit. My work is about waste and how it builds up in to something so much more than itself.

SCULPTURE 58

UNWANTED SCRAPS Haseeb Ullah Zafar / 22 years National College of Arts Lahore

For the theme of “Zero Hunger”, my work portrays equality and connectivity in society. Deprivation of basic needs is obvious in the work, and the hand symbolizes the fulfillment of these needs. Rather than wasting food, why not give it to people in need? That’s precisely where the role of helping out others comes into play. The hand below, painted in white, symbolizes hope and peace.

SCULPTURE 60

GENEROSITY Iftikhar Khan / 24 years National College of Arts Rawalpindi

Faiz ul Mawaid al Burhani is a system in our Dawoodi Bohra Community, where every single home is delivered a tiffin (a meal) called a “thali”. The system is built in such a way that the menu for each home in a particular sector is the same, a sign of unity where no one is prioritized according to their wealth. The tiffin for me is a symbol of “Zero Hunger”.

SCULPTURE 62

FAIZ UL MAWAID Muhammad Runija / 22 years Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture

To promote “Zero Hunger”, I explored the idea of placing my expression in public so people can look at it and use it as a reference point. For me, art is about appreciation of material, and I used language as a medium to create a specific piece with an unspecified reading. The work is inspired by Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi’s poem “The Feed”, a simple, beautiful poem showing the message a mother sparrow gave to little ones.

SCULPTURE 64

THE FEED Rida Zainab / 22 years National College of Arts Lahore

My work is all about visual students who can teach another 50 people through their work. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a sculpture in which I used plaster, metal and cotton, and I fixed five hands which show different fields of work. We can teach these fields of work to people of all ages and then they can support their families through hard work. We can do this at the student level and this will help us a lot to reduce hunger.

SCULPTURE 66

POWER OF SKILLS Saliha Naz / 34 years Department of Visual Studies University of Karachi

The idea of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Zero Hungerâ&#x20AC;? has been portrayed by a fragile world made of wire and jute. It conveys the mixture of artificial and natural material the world has been made of, and pouring it with fruits and vegetables in their natural form to fill the world with these blessings and promote zero hunger in every region.

SCULPTURE 68

DIG Syed Shuja Ahmed / 22 years Department of Visual Studies University of Karachi

WE THE PEOPLES WE THE ARTS Promoting zero hunger through visual arts

“We the Peoples, We the Arts” was produced by the United Nations Information Centre, the Swiss Embassy, and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.

In partnership with

In 2016, the Embassy of Switzerland marks the 50th year of its cooperation with Pakistan through the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). On the occasion of this anniversary, the SDC joined forces with United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) to promote the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Pakistan through visual arts. The SDGs were set by the UN member countries to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all over the next 15 years. Art is an ideal channel for ensuring that young people are fully aware of them and take themselves a leading role in their promotion. This competition involved young artists studying in the following five art schools of Pakistan: National College of Arts Rawalpindi, Department of Art and Design at the University of Peshawar, National College of Arts Lahore, Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture, and the Department of Visual Studies at the University of Karachi. We asked students to develop artwork, using the mediums of sculpture, painting, or miniature painting, to highlight the SDG on “zero hunger”. All entries have been judged using the same criteria: creativity, composition, theme and technique. The competition was carried out in two phases. In the first phase, a jury comprised of mentors and the university representatives selected the pieces. These are the pieces reflected in this catalogue. In the second phase, a jury comprised of Swiss and international art experts, the Embassy of Switzerland and the United Nations selected a winner for each category.

Sunderlande

With the financial support of

Published by the United Nations Information Centre November 2016 Islamabad, Pakistan