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    Review: 9th National Exhibition at PNCA

    Written by: Varda Nisar
    Posted on: January 02, 2018 | | 中文

    Colin David's 'Quaid' (L), Amina Ansari's 'Untitled' (R)

    The word ‘National’ conjugates for most of us an imagery of unity, cohesion and combined ownership. An exhibition that claims to be national thus has great responsibility on its shoulders to do justice to the many voices that form the ‘nation.’ In this regard, the 9th National Exhibition, currently on display at the PNCA Islamabad is a prime example.

    Ghulam Mustafa's 'Untitled'

    Ghulam Mustafa's 'Untitled'

    Diverse range of voices, ideologues, techniques put together across the two floors of the gallery, it truly is a genuine exploration of the wide contribution that Pakistani artists – young, emerging and the masters – have made to the field of art. With subjects as diverse as miniature art to Chughtai’s inspired women, to contemporary art exploring issues of urban centers to abstract art, social commentary to pushing the boundaries of conceptual art, the exhibition for the art-starved is an all-round feast of the wide variety of subject matter that Pakistani artists are dealing with. With almost 500 artists represented, the exhibition really does demand attention and close inspection.

    The exhibition starts off with a tribute to the masters – starting off aptly with a work of Colin David, “Quaid-e-Azam”. Within this section you would also find wonders by the likes of Bashir Ahmed, Hajra Mansoor, Saeed Akhtar – the list though doesn’t end here.

    One of the themes that pops up quite significantly is that of tributes and homage to events and heroes of this land. Amina Ansari’s tribute to Abdul Sattar Edhi and Dr. Abdus Salam on an Ace Card, holds for the viewer a hero worship element but also the social commentary that has revolved around these two figures in the last few years. Sana Nezam pays her tribute to Cowasjee, writer and social activist in her work titled ‘Cows Jee’.

    Tragedy is another theme that comes out in the exhibition. Akram Dost Baloch’s work reflects on the struggle of the Balochi people, while Agha Jandan’s piece is a sad reminder of the APS attack that took place in 2014.

    Naseem Khan's 'Untitled'

    Naseem Khan's 'Untitled'

    Sculpture is another medium that is worth mentioning here. The techniques and expertise that are on display leave one feeling completely awed. While work by Amin Gulgee and Abdul Jabbar Gul are in a league of their own, there are others that are also worthy of attention. Ahmed Habib’s ‘Untitled’ narrates the tale of a stranded sailor and beautifully captures the passiveness and dejectedness of the subject matter. Syed Mubarak Shah’s sculptural piece depicts a man with wings, in which both the use of color and material only add to the complexity of the subject matter. Naseem’s Khan wooden sculptural piece though, is truly a masterpiece with its form and technical excellence, where a figure stands on its head with its feet up in the air, emanating an aura of grace. 

    Coming to social commentary, works like Wajid Ali’s ‘Kukkar’ (Rooster) and Risham Syed’s ‘We are sorry for this Transeni’ talk about the chaos and the dog-eat-dog – or in this kukkar – world. Wajid Ali with his red background enveloping the main subject of his work, and Risham’s powerful imagery of an unnamed street with its construction and development, feels like a finger on the pulse of what it is like living in Pakistan for many of us.

    Zakir Ali's 'Hang Life Death'

    Zakir Ali's 'Hang Life Death'

    But not all is serious – on a lighter note, there is the colorful work by Qadir Jatiyal depicting a busy road with all its traffic and yet again the urban chaos. There is also Wasif Afridi’s work which talks about a budding romance between two youngsters captured beautifully in a diptych. And then of course there is another kind of chaos which is the subject of Hajra Cheema’s wittingly apt work titled ‘Shadi Season.’

    Shahla Rafi's 'Red Torrent'

    Shahla Rafi's 'Red Torrent'

    But the exhibition is really much more than just this. It truly is a representation of every region, from Kalash all the way to the shores of Karachi and everything in between and beyond. The exhibition making a comeback after a break of 13 years has done justice to the word “National.” There, of course, is no such thing as perfect, and thus certain elements need to be worked upon, but the exhibition is worthy of our collective ownership and support.

    The show is on display till 18th February 2018.


    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