Keeping this spirit alive the Pakistan National Council of the Arts made a comprehensive plan of organising lectures, workshop and national exhibition of calligraphy during the holy month of Ramazan. To begin with a workshop on the art of calligraphy has been organised for kids and adults alike, commencing on September, 14 at the National Art Gallery. Eminent calligraphist Azeem Iqbal is assigned to conduct the event.
Explaining the main objective of the workshop Azeem highlighted the historical evolution of the calligraphic arts in the Islamic world. He also explained the technical aspects of the art form with special reference to the structural character of each letter and its co-relation with the adjacent letters.
The art also carries a beautiful synthesis amongst structure of letters, their meanings, colours and images in case of pictorial or creative calligraphy. It may be recalled that the art scene of Pakistan has been enriched with the creative calligraphy by great painter, intellectual and calligraphist Muhammad Hanif Ramy. Subsequently Sadequain, Shakir Ali, Shamza and other artists took the lead and ascended the art form to its zenith. Prior to the creative or pictorial calligraphic art the Islamic world had been in practice of traditional calligraphy for all sort of written script.
In Pakistan traditional styles like Nastaaliq, Naskh, Suls, Kufi, Gulzar, Bahar and Tughra etc remained in practice by many artists. Sufi Abdul Majeed Perveen Raqm, Munshi Fazal Ilahi Margub Raqm, Munshi Taj Din, Muhammad Siddiq Almas Raqm, Syed Anwer Hussain Nafees Raqm and Sufi Khurshid Alam Khurshid Raqm earned name and fame for creating master pieces in different traditional styles of calligraphic art.
It is encouraging sign that PNCA's workshop would prove to be a source of linking historical evolution of the art with the present day currents and modes of calligraphy. Furthermore it is commendable that the Council has involved the young generation especially kids in the artistic activities in the realm of calligraphy. It would infuse sense of pride and belonging amongst our new generation towards our art and cultural heritage. The three day workshop would be culminated into an exhibition of calligraphic works produced by the kids during the workshop. Certificates would also be given to the participants.
MULTANI EMBROIDERY CRAFT WORK: Multan has been the centre of socio-political and religio-cultural activities in the sub-continent for centuries. It has been the seat of ruling class as well as mystic legendaries and craft persons both male and female. The message of sufi personalities cast a great impact in creating an ambience of love, peace and harmony in the region.
The same characteristics emanate from its arts and ongoing exhibition of embroidery work done on different types of female costumes and dresses here. The event is opened on September 13, under the auspices of Development Communications Network.
The exhibition offers a variety of Multani embroidery styles including 'Tarkashi', 'Kundan', 'Aritilla', 'Ribbon work', 'Gota Kinari', 'Do Sooti' and 'Shadow Work' etc. The exhibits attracted a great number of visitors who highly applauded the composite designing, richness of colours and refinement of the accomplished exhibits. The whole lot has been accomplished by the crafts women of Multan and its sub-urban areas, which indicate the quantum of women empowerment in the area.
Samina Ahmad and Rubina Arif, two participating crafts women viewed the event as the step forward with regard to the enhancement of women empowerment concept. However, they were lamented that since the artisans of the country are relating to an un-organised sector so their exploitation has been on rise by the middle-men as they provide them raw material and often small loans etc.
This vicious circle compels the artisans to sell their crafts against the whims of the middle-men. It is a matter of foremost importance that our governmental and non-governmental institutions should come forward to save our crafts women from the exploitive hands of greedy class.
Riffat Ara Beg, programme co-ordinator of Development Communications Network shown her concern over the issue and resolved to save the women crafts persons from inhuman exploitation of middlemen. She pointed out two key issues including marketable products and direct access of the crafts women to the market etc. Her organisation has been working in this direction so that the maximum reward of the labour and artistry goes to the concerned craft women.
It may be recalled that as per general survey over 70 percent of all products in the crafts sector are accomplished by the women artisans of the country. The ministries like Women Development and Welfare, Social Welfare, Industries and Production, Export Promotion Bureau and Lok Virsa could do a lot in enhancing the women empowerment especially the crafts women of the country. It would definitely decrease the level of poverty and improve the soft and peaceful image of our nation at home and abroad alike.
DOCUMENTATION OF WAKHAN CULTURE: Lok Virsa indeed deserves for its relentless endeavors with regard to the promotion, projection and preservation of our precious indigenous heritage in different modes including documentation on paper and modern audio video gadgets. Its latest accomplishment relates to the documentation of art and culture of mountainous area of Wakhan in Chitral, extreme north of the country.
We Pakistanis are proud of being the custodian of rich cultural heritage of humanity, which nurtured on our soil since time immemorial. The northern areas of Pakistan offer a great variety of multifaceted cultural entities around several valleys including Wakhan, Chitral. The Wakhan corridor is located in the extreme northern part of the country meeting the mountainous region of Pamir with Tajikstan in its north and China in the east.
The area enjoys a population of over 10,000 representing different tribes of Uzbeks, Tajiks, Uyghars and Kirgizs. The particular geographical conditions, rich historical evolution, attachment with the soil and its colours, rituals and folk traditions, people of Wakhan offer an individualistic identity. Lok Virsa sent a three member team comprising a researcher cum craft collector, a video producer and a cameraman.
The team stayed at villages like Chopari and Lashkargarh, intermingled with local people, shared with them at meals, rituals and games etc. Extensive interviews, dialogues and conversations were recorded and a variety of artifacts were collected for the Heritage Museum in Islamabad. Besides, the most important outcome of this research venture is a documentary film comprising indigenous sports especially the 'buzkushi'(goat snatching), a traditional sport of central Asia played on horseback. It also covered indigenous crafts like 'polisk'(floor rug), musical instruments like 'sitar' and rope making etc.
The scenes of wedding, traditional festivals, folk tales, dance and songs and story telling are also part of the documentation. It is hoped that the new addition of Wakhan cultural entity would be a useful source of inspiration for the viewers as well as researchers, students and teachers alike. It is suggested that Lok Virsa may organise an exhibition cum screening of all such documentation for the greater benefit of people. It would also show the peaceful face of Pakistan which has otherwise been tarnished due to the biased propaganda of our adversaries.