Exhibition Of Artisans-At-Work Major Attraction For Visitors

News Desk

Islamabad: More than 50 artists are using their talents to create creative works of art, crafts and innovation that captivate tourists at the National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage (NI&FTH). Besides several other features for families and children at the on-going ‘Saqafati Mela’ organised by LokVirsa, the exhibition of artisans-at-work is a major attraction for the visitors. The crafts on display are embroidery, including Multani, Bahawalpuri, Hazara, Swati, Balochi, and Sindhi; block printing; lacquer work; Khussa making; pottery; tie and dye; doll making; khaddar weaving; truck art; wood carving; namda and gabba; metal work; shawl weaving; zari work; motikari; blue pottery; ajrak; stone carving; and many others. Several female artisans are also demonstrating their skills at the festival. The most prominent among them is Kaneez Fatima from Balochistan. Kaneez Fatima practises Balochi embroidery, has carried on this centuries-old tradition from their mothers, and has devoted 30 to 35 years of their lives to this profession. She is notable not just for her excellence but also for her tenacious transmission of this skill to future generations. The male artisans are also equally good at showing their artwork. Muhammad Riaz’s lacquer work from Silanwali, Punjab, is on excellent display. His father was also an accomplished master craftsman of lacquer. He has also been demonstrating his art at many festivals, fairs, and exhibitions throughout the country and has been honoured several times with cash prizes and certificates. Fayaz is an expert in natural dyes from Kahror Pucca. The ancient art of wooden block making has its centres in the lower Indus Valley, encompassing southern Punjab and all of Sindh. He has not only trained his family members but also imparted training to many artisans in other textile crafts.

Rich Heritage, Craft Tradition

Pakistan, with its rich and varied heritage, has a craft tradition of more than 9,000 years dating back to the Mehergarh civilization in Balochistan, which reveals the earliest evidence for pottery production. The Indus Valley civilization of Mohenjo-Daro in Sindh and the Harappa civilization in Punjab (5,000 B.C.) indicate impressions of woven cloth production from cotton and wool. The dominant historical influence still to be seen in the form, design, and colour of Pakistani handicrafts is essentially Islamic, a fusion of Turkish, Arab, Persian, and indigenous Mughal traditions, the crafts represent a valuable material heritage that forms a tangible part of our historical and contemporary culture. Unlike the West, most traditional crafts in Pakistan are neither a profession nor a hobby but an essential component of the diverse cultural patterns–a product of ethnic and communal attitudes and practises. As such, crafts have meaning and a definite social context in traditional society. However, the onslaught of the industrial age is erasing this craft heritage, even in rural areas. But there is a recent trend towards the use of crafts as art objects in urban homes. Historic forms and designs are being revived both by the increasing number of trained craftsmen and by designers for the tourist and export markets.

Photo Credit: Lok Virsa