Marjorie Hussain introduces the
work of Munir Saeed on the desert dwellers
of Thar.
Forty-two mixed media artworks express Munir
Saeed's empathy for the desert dwellers of
Thar.
"They are like the tribes who continue to
live on the edge of a volcano," she
explains. "They are people who cannot move
away from their indigenous roots."
It began two years ago while painting, and
at the same time listening to the radio.
Munir Saeed's attention became drawn to a
programme about the arid Thar area and she
heard the moving story of the people who
continue to live in the hope of a small
miracle - rain. Munir was so affected by
what she heard that, then and there, she
resolved to contribute to the cause - to
dedicate an exhibition to the people of Thar.
With the present exhibition, the artist
fulfils her vow.
The mixed media collection shows images that
are worked on handmade paper formulated by
the artist from recycled newspapers. These
are torn into small pieces, mixed with water
and pulped in a blender. The mixture is
spread on a paper base and when almost dry,
is put through a press. The results are
uneven edged, textured surfaces that are
spray painted, stencilled, and worked with
acrylic paints applied with a brush and
pastel chalks.
Traces of her favoured motifs are
discernible, the architectural elements,
domes, arches and minarets from earlier
series. Organic shapes are echoes of
leafless trees. A recurring motif is found
in small birds that symbolize prayers flying
towards a distant moon. Munir's palette is
disciplined; she has the printmaker's
affinity for the drama of black and white.
Touches of magenta, gold and blue refer to
the traditional craftwork wrought by the
women of the region, patchwork quilts and
embroidery. Imagery encompasses women and
children as hooded figures juxtaposed with
clay pots. There are few men in the villages
for they must seek work in towns. A graduate
of the Karachi School of Art, in 1970 Munir
was one of the third batch to pass out from
the institute where her teachers were Rahi,
Hajra and Rabia Zuberi. Although she enjoyed
the process of painting and printmaking, it
was to be ten years before she began to show
her work in exhibitions. Her earliest pieces
incorporated architectural symbols, dark
interiors looking out at a golden horizon,
light falling on a patch of withered wall
warming the cold stones. The '90s found her
using barren thorny trees to illustrate the
verses of Urdu poets. Calligraphy appeared
as an extension of her love for the written
word. She daringly mixed diverse art
techniques and mediums experimenting with
effects. Unmoved by market demands or
expediency, Munir invariably followed her
inclination to integrate elements that
pleased her aesthetic sensibilities. Now,
with considerable experience of group
participations and eight solo exhibitions to
her credit, she is a familiar name in art
circles.
An unassuming, smiling figure seen regularly
attending exhibitions, in her home Munir has
set up a teaching centre. Fankadah, where
there is room for not more than fifteen
students at a time. It is a pleasant,
relaxed workplace where students enjoy
painting without the stress of examinations.
Her students are a mixed group including
several Japanese and Korean ladies. Munir is
particularly proud of Obaid Syed, who made a
name for himself as an artist in Sweden, and
whose work was well received at his first
solo exhibition in Karachi.
Talking of her subject, Munir describes the
wonder of the Thar Desert after rain, an
incident that occurred some time ago. "It
came to life," she said. "Green shoots came
out of the earth, appearing as a reminder of
the power possessed by nature, and how soon
an environment can change."
Marjorie Hussain
is an art critic who writes for Dawn.
This book contains write-ups on paintings by
Munir Saeed, an artist whose medium is as
diverse as oil paint, watercolour, wood cut,
and calligraphic prints. She has held a
number of solo exhibitions and has
participated in group shows.
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