The Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) in association with Ministry of National Heritage and Integration on Monday arranged a ‘Workshop on Traditional Miniature Paintings of the Subcontinent’ by a noted artist Farrah Mahmood Adnan at National Art Gallery (NAG). As many as 30 male and female students from various educational institutions of twin cities participated in the training workshop that will continue at NAG till January 27. An expert in the field of miniature paintings, Farrah Mahmood Adnan on the first day conducted the workshop for students, amateur artists and youngsters with basic techniques and theoretical training of the unique art of miniature painting and mediums like form of colour, form of line, pencil, still life and landscapes.
The workshop has been scheduled with the objective of engaging the youngsters in healthy activities and promoting art and crafts related techniques among the young generation by master artisans. Farrah delivered a comprehensive lecture shedding the light on various techniques, methodologies; mediums used in miniature art and elaborated the history of miniature art work with analysis in contemporary work in miniature form. According to Farrah, miniature paintings are a very intricate art form, small in size, and full of details. This art form requires the utmost patience and concentration. The course was planned for art lovers, students and amateur artists to boost their extra skills besides their regular studies. People of subcontinent have always had deep appreciation of all the various art forms, pictorial art ranking as one of Indo- Pakistan’s foremost arts.
On the one hand, there are splendid cycles of mural paintings splashed across temples and places, and on the other, the intricate Mongol miniatures, small and yet expressing volumes. These miniatures throw light not only on religious matters, but also on numerous aspects of secular life as well, not at the expense of their essentially poetic quality. Miniature painting as a true art form was established in the reign of Mughal Emperor Humayun, who on his return from Iran (Persia) brought with himself two renowned miniature painters. The contemporary art of miniature is extremely influenced by artists’ surroundings, culture and society while they also practice the same ancient traditional technique of miniature painting.
Workshop on miniature painting begins at NAG
