Journalists from 12 countries learn about Pakistani art

Islamabad
As many as 17 foreign journalists visited gallery6 here on Thursday to learn about Pakistani art through a special display featuring a collection of 100 paintings by 50 artists. The display included paintings in different genres, as well as sculptures, representing a diverse variety of themes.
The journalists were from 12 countries -- Afghanistan, China, Egypt, India, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Malaysia, Palestine, Pakistan, Philippines and USA. They were members of the Senior Journalists Seminar 2015 sponsored by the East-West Center (EWC), Hawaii, and were accompanied by Elizabeth Dorn and Susan Kreifels from EWC. Titled ‘Bridging gaps in US relations with the Muslim world,’ the seminar began on August 19. Before visiting Islamabad, the group has visited Washington, Nashville TN, Honolulu, Kuala Lumpur, and Lahore.
The gallery’s curator, Dr. Arjumand Faisel, conducted a walk-through tour, highlighting key distinctive features of different groups of works, which drew attention of the visitors. Six artists from Islamabad also attended the event and briefly spoke about their themes and artworks. These included Mansur Rahi, Hajra Mansur, Sana Arjumand, Shireen Ikramullah, Natasha Jozi and Anjum Alix Noon.
The visitors were stunned to see the depth and variations of the artworks and praised the enormous talent of Pakistani artists. After a tour of the gallery, they mingled with Pakistani artists and had informal interactions with them for more than hour over dinner.
Launched in 2003 by EWC at Hawaii, the Senior Journalists Seminar is a 21-day professional dialogue, study and travel programme intended to enhance media coverage and elevate the public debate regarding religion and its role in the public sphere, specifically as it concerns US relations with the Muslim world.
Designed for senior print, radio, broadcast, and online journalists from the US and countries with substantial Muslim populations, the seminar offers an opportunity for participating journalists to engage their peers, experts, and the public on issues relevant to US relations with the Muslim world including: religiosity, religious diversity and religious freedoms/rights in the United States and Asia; identity, treatment and representation of religious minority groups; the political, economic, educational, artistic, and cultural role religion plays in societies; initiatives to reduce religious tensions and domestic extremism; and the impact of the media’s coverage of religion on public perception and international relations.
In Pakistan, the group is meeting with government officials, members of the media, academics, religious leaders, community members and artists to discuss the political, economic, cultural, and artistic role religion plays in Pakistan. The visit to gallery was for a private viewing of Pakistani art, as well as to mingle and talk with a small but diverse group of Pakistani artists-curators.