KARACHI ART SCENE

Soraya Sikander, a critically acclaimed Karachi based international artist will be exhibiting her new series of landscape paintings at an exclusive art exhibition at the Alhamra Art Gallery, Arts Council Lahore. The exhibition titled ‘In, At and Around’ is the Lahore chapter of Soraya’s major show ' In, At and Around' . ‘ In, At and Around ’ comprised of cityscapes painted in London and Karachi. The exhibition was an overwhelming success with all the paintings on display selling out at the exhibition opening and the series still receiving coverage up to this date (ADA Dec 2013). Post in, at and around Soraya received several exhibition offers from institutes and galleries in Pakistan, India and U.K. The new exhibition ‘In, At and Around’ shall be Soraya Sikander’s fourth solo show, and her first exhibition in Punjab. ‘In, At and Around' shall mainly comprise of landscapes, organic floral patterns and some landscape-into-seascape interpretative paintings inspir...

An exhibition of ceramic art and a performance by Turkish artists Mehmet Gürsoy, Mrs.ÖzlemÇopuris and Ahmet ZekiYavaş opened at Dolmen Mall Clifton to celebrate the Turkish Prime Minister RecepTayyipErdoğan’s visit to Pakistan. Mehmet Gürsoy is a world famous ceramic artist who has revived the ceramic art of Iznik, lost in the seventeenth century by carrying it forward with his own innovations. He was awarded the ‘Living Human Treasure’ Prize by UNESCO in 2009.Mrs.ÖzlemÇopuris a marbling artist who concentrates on reflecting the colours of the universe. The art of marbling (Ebru) is a branch of traditional Turkish arts which has a history of its own. AhmetZekiYavaş is a master calligrapher who has participated in almost 250 solo and group exhibitions. ZuhalSünger is an ornamentation artist who has participated in group exhibitions in Turkey and abroad. The exhibition was well attended by diplomats, business leaders and leading personalities.

The fifth Karachi Literature Festival (KLF) will be held from February 7 to 9 at the Beach Luxury Hotel, said Oxford University Press (OUP) Pakistan Managing Director Ameena Saiyid. She was addressing a press conference at the Arts Council on Monday alongwith Urdu scholar Dr Asif Aslam Farrukhi and Arts Council Karachi President Ahmed Shah. Ameena Saiyid listed the resume of last year’s literature festival and said that this year too noted authors from the world over, including Pakistanis residing overseas, would be invited. Among these were internationally renowned British journalist Robert Fisk and biographer Dr Rajmohan Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, Kamila Shamsie, award-winning filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Pakistani BBC broadcaster Raza Ali Abidi. This three-day festival will also feature a dance performance by Nahid Siddiqui and, later, her interview.