Artworks of 58 women artists depict both sides of life

Rawalpindi

Over 100 paintings by eight women artists and 50 female students from different colleges and universities put on display at Rawalpindi Arts Council here on Monday in connection with the 5th National Women-at-Work Festival to commemorate International Women’s Day. The festival is an annual public advocacy event by Development Communications Network (Devcom-Pakistan).

The participating artists include Nahida Raza, Riffat Ara Baig, Beenish Azam, and Syeda Nadia Raza. Some of the female students whose work stand out include
Sarah Khallid, Marium
Mushtaq, Mahpara Nawaz, Farwa Batool, Ayesha Hasan, Fouzia Sohail and Sundas Azhar. 

The art on display depict variety of expressions; from feminism to realism, expressionism to abstract. The participating women artists have played in all forms and medium oil on canvas, to mixed media, acrylics to watercolour. The bold expression and vibrant strokes
bring the best imagery that reflects agony in many cases, and the bight emotions of life too.

The figurative paintings and reflection of the women living in Thar Desert are the favourite subjects of Nahida Raza. Women’s agony and gloomy side of early-child marriages are the stories Riffat Ara Baig has preferred to put on her canvases. Beenish Azam paint different mood of women in a creative variety while the mixed media paintings by Syeda Nadia Raza bring us the old heritage and architecture with her own feelings.

Talking about the Rawalpindi Arts Council’s collaboration the Director Devcom-Pakistan and Festival Director Munir Ahmed said that this year four events are being organized at the Rawalpindi Arts Council including paintings exhibition, display of crafts, vigil in appreciation of women’s contribution to a democratic Pakistan, and tree-plantation.

MNA Tahira Aurangzeb while speaking to the audience said that Internal Women’s Day is the occasion to pledge to make our society more women friendly.

Nahid Manzoor while appreciating the Development Communications Network (Devcom-Pakistan) said that this organization has been working for over a decade without donor funding hence promote genuine issues within our social and cultural boundaries, and promoting social and environmental engagement.