The ongoing exhibition of rare clay pots by Sheherezade Alam is in progress here at Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) till June 24 featuring the artistic skills that bring unique style in crafts.
Some 150 exquisite pottery items are serving the craft lovers as an attraction through depiction of aesthetic tradition in the visual impact of the brilliant ceramics. The show entitled “I am vessel, I am the vessel maker, I am the clay of the vessel” has been arranged by the National Art Gallery of PNCA in collaboration with Ministry of National Heritage and Integration.
The visitors term the show as a treat of experiencing various styles of clay pots with glazed outlook in vibrant colors and curvy shapes of the structure by the female potter who made Pakistan’s first female studio potter with the mission to bring cultural and heritage education to young generation. Her skills depict her involvement with hand crafted clay objects as a long and fascinating saga which serves as a role model for ceramists in Pakistan today. She went on to explore excavated sites such as Mehergar, Moenjodaro and Harrupa, studying the line and profile of the ancient pieces before setting up her own studio in Lahore, said curator of the show. Her forms are fluid as they express effortlessly a vibrant energy that in itself radiates. They encapsulate the essence of the Indus Valley Civilization, through ancient cultures and the Islamic period to the island of extremely refined sensibilities, Japan. Sheherezade’s work takes the viewers into the exciting world of exploring a dramatic experience which involve basic elements of `Earth, Fire, Water and Air’. The display of vessels include items like bowls, plates, containers, vase, mugs and many other shapes of pottery art which the artist created during 1985-2011.
The ancient shapes present the modifications of mystical traditions in the post-modern world. As a post-modern master of that traditionally magical object – the potters’ wheel, Sheherezade Alam revives in order to extend the significance of earth in the aesthetic of the East. It is only in celebration of what that tradition achieved and what she can add to it.
