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    'Climate Change & Art' at Gallery 6: A Practitioners' Retreat

    Climate Change Art Exhibition at Gallery 6 Islamabad

    Written by: Sana Shahid
    Posted on: October 10, 2016 |

    An arresting image of a glacier captured by Saram Maqbool

    It is no secret that our planet is experiencing drastic environmental changes. Accelerated global warming is altering Earth’s climate at an alarming rate. In order to highlight this issue, a Practitioners’ Retreat was organized by the Ministry of Climate Change and the government of Pakistan in collaboration with Gallery 6 and the East-West Center Association.

    The retreat took place in the beautiful Swat Valley where seven artists (Abid Khan, Ahsan Javaid, Ayub Wali, Irfan Gul, Raja Najamul Hassan, S.M. Khayyam and Zain-ul-Abideen), three photographers (Ayesha Akif, Saram Maqbool and Shaheer Ahmed), a filmmaker (Ali Ijaz) and a writer (Junaid Babar) spent three days together in Miandam. This multifaceted team was led by the Director and Curator of Gallery 6, Dr. Arjumand Faisel. Other participants who worked from their own studios include sculptor Abbas Shah, as well as painters Sadaf Naeem, Sana Arjumand and Shahla Rafi.

    Climate Change Art Exhibition at Gallery 6 Islamabad

    Guests at the inauguration

    Climate Change Art Exhibition at Gallery 6 Islamabad

    'A Little More', an intriguing painting by Irfan Gul

    The title ‘Climate Change & Art’ perfectly explains the purpose of the retreat: to spread awareness about climate change among the public and preserve the natural beauty of Swat in the form of paintings, photographs, and sculptures. Gallery 6 hosted a three-day art exhibition following the retreat, which was inaugurated on 7th October, 2016. The show was one of a kind as it not only focused on the beauty of Pakistan’s north, but also presented perspectives never witnessed before in landscape art. The artists also highlighted the areas that have been destroyed by floods, deforestation and land erosion, leading to the absence of birds and wildlife. The entire collection followed a color scheme, and it seemed like the whole gallery was painted in shades of blue and green for the opening.

    Irfan Gul’s painting, ‘A Little More’, was among the highlights of the exhibition. It stresses the need to preserve the beauty of Pakistan’s northern areas rather than damaging them bit by bit every day. “What we can’t see is the little more damage that we have been causing to the climate every day”, Irfan comments on his work.

    Ahsan Javaid has created an intriguing art piece by juxtaposing different aspects of nature onto the canvas. “You may appreciate the image that has been constructed as art. But the real question is, can you live with a distorted face of Mother Nature?” asks Ahsan. The rest of the painters, Zain-ul-Abideen, Najamul Hassan, Abid Khan and S.M. Khayyam have skillfully captured the beauty of Swat and touched upon the theme of climate change in varying and impactful ways.

    Climate Change Art Exhibition at Gallery 6 Islamabad

    'Spirit of Tree' series by Abbas Shah

    Sculptures added a third dimension to the show. One of the sculptors, Ayub Wali, has worked with brass to replicate autumn leaves in stunning detail. On the other hand, Abbas Ali Shah has worked with wood in his Spirit of Tree series, demonstrating his expertise in carving.

    Photography is an art form that highlights the interplay of light and shadows, compositions, and the vibrancy of colours captured by the camera lens. Ayesha Akif and Shaheer Ahmed have expertly depicted the beauty of Swat being destroyed by huge blocks of concrete houses, while Saram Maqbool has skillfully recreated natural landscapes and demonstrated how human activity has been damaging them over time.

    Muhammad Ali Ijaz’s documentary was played at the exhibition, which follows the participants and their exciting journey during this retreat. It includes interviews of the artists in which they explain their work and talk about what climate change means to them.

    Climate Change Art Exhibition at Gallery 6 Islamabad

    'Nature's Painting' by Ali Ijaz

    ‘Climate Change and Art’ is not simply an art exhibition, but an important step towards the promotion of social and environmental welfare through art. The entire event was sponsored by the Ministry of Climate Change, The East-West Center Association and Gallery 6. Organizers and attendees were truly impressed by the pieces on display. People from all over the twin cities attended the inauguration, suggesting that public awareness on the issue of climate change is increasing, and people are finally determined to work towards the protection of our environment.


    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021