President Dr Arif Alvi said that aesthetic expression adds more value to a culture, by raising awareness in the society about social-justice and harmony, quality of life, patriotism etc. He stated that rich history of South Asia and the centuries old traditions of Pakistan have grown out of the world’s oldest civilizations like Mehrgarh, Mohen-jo-Daro and Harappa. These ancient archaeological sites are priceless treasures for our nation and must be preserved at all cost. This inspirational heritage must also be shared with the global art community, by portraying it through artistic ambassadors, like Jamil Naqsh, he added. The President said this while addressing the inauguration ceremony of Paintings exhibition at Jamil Naqsh Museum titled “Fisher Woman of My Mohenjo-daro” today.
The President highlighted that masterpieces created by our contemporary painters, sculptors, writers, musicians, culinary experts and other artists are also appreciated globally, as these arts and crafts beautifully reflect the refined talents, scenic-landscapes and diversity of experiences offered by this land. He underlined that despite the exposure to technological advancements, professional migrations and geo-political diversity, our people have remained connected to their strong roots in this fertile soil. Our distinct culture has been nurtured with strong relationships of humanitarian love, while our food and flavours also carry the aroma of generous hospitality, he said.
The President also expressed his admiration for Mr. Jamil Naqsh – who has earned international fame along-with the “Pride of Performance” award in 1989 and the “Sitara-e-Imtiaz” Award in 2009. He added that his work depicts the different aspects of our society, with deep insights to enrich the minds of his audience. He stressed that we must take more opportunities to celebrate the accomplishments of our national heroes, who are portraying a softer image of Pakistan, with their great successes in every arena, around the world.
The focus of this exhibition is to highlight the lifestyle romantic charms of the Indus valley civilization, which continues to attract and amaze many great archaeologists and scholars of arts and cultures, from all over the world. One prominent element in the creative legacy of Naqsh, is the female face and form. He has now redefined the classic bronze sculpture of the ‘Dancing Girl of Mohen-jo-Daro’ – portraying her as a ‘Fisherwoman’. His theory is; “This civilization flourished along the Indus River, back in the year 2500 BCE, so their primary occupation was fishing”. This series of paintings also features other creatures and ancient composite artifacts of Mohen-jo-Daro, like the ‘Fish’ and the ‘Bull’, along with several ancient ‘Scripts’ found in this archeological site.
