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    Connecting Karachi and Hyderabad: 'The Highway' at VM Art Gallery

    Written by: Nageen Shaikh
    Posted on: January 09, 2017 | | 中文

    'Conversations' by Sana Burney at VM Art Gallery (photo - FS Karachiwala)

    The VM Art Gallery in Karachi is hosting an exhibition of 20 artists from the historical cities of Karachi and Hyderabad under the theme ‘The Highway’. The aim is to promote cultural connectivity and understanding between the people of the two cities through art. The contributors include renowned artists as well as recent university graduates, who have used various forms including sculpture, painting, prints and installation to depict the connection or the ‘Highway’ between the two cities.

    Sana Burney, a University of Karachi graduate and a faculty member at the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture, reflects on the customs and daily practices of people belonging to the two cities, one of which is the culture of consuming tea. Be it thoughtful conversation or just a casual exchange of words, having tea with peers and friends is a much loved practice in both cities. With the green kettles or chenaks hanging from the ceiling, one can contextualize this wall installation titled ‘Conversations’ as a mode people use to talk when making their journey from one city to another. The highway which connects Karachi and Hyderabad has a fascinating culture of small shops and dhabas where people stop by to have delicious food or a cup of the famous cinnamon tea.

    The Highway Exhibition at VM Art Gallery, Karachi

    'Untitled', a monotone painting by Zeeshan Memon (photo - FS Karachiwala)

    Zeeshan Memon, an artist hailing from Jamshoro who now works in Karachi, believes in promoting the work of the Pakistani film industry, where seasoned actors have influenced the public with their styles and gestures in acting. His work ‘Untitled’ is a monotone painting of a female figure wearing what looks like a traditional green dress; however, this form is faceless, which allows the viewer to derive various interpretations from it.

    From the recent graduates of the University of Karachi, Hassan Raza has an installation titled ‘Dense City-1’, a work of fine skill in material handling. Using the measurement ruler as the key form, Hassan gives a sense of the crowded city of Karachi which is densely populated by people from all local ethnicities, and has various kinds of architecture, thus making it a truly fascinating city to observe.

    The Highway Exhibition at VM Art Gallery, Karachi

    'Dense City-II' by Hassan Raza (photo - FS Karachiwala)

    Agha Jandan expresses his thoughts in the ‘False Fermentation of Feeble Hope-II’, while Mujeeb Lakho highlights the importance and the sentiments behind the cultural crafts of Hyderabad and Jamshoro. In a similar fashion, Farooque Chandio draws a beautiful sketch of the local baskets that are so reminiscent of Sindhi culture.

    The Highway Exhibition at VM Art Gallery, Karachi

    'In Made 1' by Mujeeb Lakho (photo - FS Karachiwala)

    Other colorful and attention-grabbing works by Batool Zehra, Anam Shakil, Anas Abro, Meher Un Nisa, Danish Ahmed and Manisha Jiani focus on the cultural linkages between the people of the two cities.

    The Highway Exhibition at VM Art Gallery, Karachi

    Visitiors at the exhibition

    The aim of the exhibition is to foster creativity by fusing together cultural narratives in order to support the artists of both cities. Such collaborations are needed in order to promote intercultural harmony and bring people closer together through art. The exhibition will continue at the VM Art Gallery till January 12.


    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