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Paintings showcase mountains in Pakistan

22.08.2016

More than 50 oil-on-canvas paintings depicting the mountains of Pakistan were put on display at the Islamabad Art and Craft Village on 14 August 2016 to mark the Pakistan Independence Day celebrations. Development Communications Network (DEVCOM-Pakistan) and Islamabad Devcom Centennial Leo Club (IDCLC) organized the youth art show aimed at engaging youth in connection with the Lions Club International Global Youth Week.

Sameena Baig of Pakistan, the world’s first female mountaineer to summit the seven highest peaks of the seven continents, was the chief guest on the occasion. She believes the mountains and their culture are Pakistan’s treasure. “Every Pakistani shall explore it, and every government and non-government organization shall put all efforts to showcase and project Pakistan’s mountains across the globe,” said Baig. She praised the young artists for their paintings of mountains.

DEVCOM-Pakistan Creative Director and Cambridge art teacher Riffat Art Baig conducted the art competition and curated the exhibition. She said, “The paintings on display reflect the creativity of youth to portray the magical beauty and grandeur of the marvellous mountains of Pakistan. The variety of style and variation of expression shows the skills and talent of the young women studying art in different girls’ colleges at graduate and undergraduate level.”

“It was a great experience of managing the art competition and witnessing how quickly and creatively the young artists painted the wonderful mountain landscapes,” said Shaaref Munir, the IDCLC President. “The youth is really rocking with their potential and creativity. Youth lacks resources and opportunities, I don’t know if the federal and provincial governments reassure their pledges and allocate ample resources to engage youth in productive pursuits.”

One of the participants, Ushna Azeem, said, “We need to have grand inclusive events to celebrate Pakistan Independence Day where all segments of society shall take part in a variety of activities. It would reflect solidarity and integrity of the nation. Engaging youth in art would help enhance the peace and harmony in Pakistan.”

Munir Ahmed, Executive Director of DEVCOM-Pakistan and IDCLC Adviser, said, “It is quite unfortunate that men’s colleges have no art faculty, therefore, we hardly see any male participant taking part in our art competitions. To engage male youth in art and creative pursuits, we have to put much more efforts and time to reach out to different organizations to find those young men who are interested.”

News and photo by DEVCOM-Pakistan

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