A country that doesn’t enforce arts, is dead’ : Jehanzeb Malik exhibits his artwork inspired by Pakistan
LAHORE: Shakir Ali Museum, known for its preservation and constant support of arts and culture throughout the country, held an exhibition by artist Jehanzeb Malik at its premises on Thursday, well attended by various painters, artists, curators, art critics, students and several media persons.
Malik’s paintings were mostly done in warm oil colours, depicting the everyday lives and activities of villagers and other locals. Malik very beautifully captures the country’s northern areas landscapes in his artworks; A Shrine At Batkhela Swat shows a contrast colour scheme depicting village women visiting a shrine on the banks of River Swat. Another one titled Ghanchi Skardu is also done in warm colour scheme, showing trees of apricots and poplars transmitting vermillion into yellow ochre, surrounded by snow-clad mountains at Ghanchi Skardu. There are a handful of others that show agriculture and sunsets displayed on a lovely canvas.
Despite being a superb painter and hands-on artist, Malik remains humble and is extremely down to earth. “I’m not a professional artist at all. I’m still in the process of learning and improving my work and I remain amateur,” Malik says.
“People tend to incarcerate themselves in glass walls, which they’ve built for themselves. I believe in order to bring out one’s inner artist, a person should rid him/herself from this self incarceration,” artist and painter Mian Ejazul Hassan said. “Artists like Jehanzeb Malik do not hold themselves back and express freely.”
Hassan stressed on preserving and honouring arts throughout the country, in a way that the newer generation comes to know of it and realise the beauty of it as well. “Whenever I talk about enforcing arts and culture effectively, I’m criticised by the masses. They talk about all those dying of hunger and discourage me for feeling strongly about arts instead. I believe, that without arts, a country is dead. Through arts, we can bring about so much positivity, including strength, confidence and self-assurance amongst other things,” he said.
The chief guest of the event was politician Sardar Assef Ahmad Ali who appreciated Malik’s work, calling him :a gift to Pakistan from God”. “He’s a Sufi more than an artist. Jehanzeb possesses freshness and patriotism and it is heart-warming to see him inspired by his own country and its landscapes.”
The guests were treated to a lavish hi-tea hosted by the patrons at Shakir Ali Museum and were treated to an exclusive private viewing of Jehanzeb Malik’s paintings and oil works titled Art from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Renowned artists who also graced the event were Dr Ijaz Anwar, Ghulam Mustafa, Shahnawaz Zaidi, Jamila Zaidi, Professor Saeed Akhtar, Murtaza Jafferi, Iqbal Jafferi and Aslam Kamal.
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