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The speaking walls – rediscovering stories

By US Desk
27 January, 2023

A wall is a great symbol to talk about emotions, beauty, history, culture and art....

PICTORIAL

Devastation II by Malika Abbas
Devastation II by Malika Abbas

A wall is a great symbol to talk about emotions, beauty, history, culture and art. The old, dilapidated walls of Hyderabad Fort and Shah Jahan Mosque, the walls of Karachi city adorned with layers of pastings, and the Great Wall of China, all stand there to tell us fascinating stories of how humans inhabited places, and how tirelessly they built and destroyed them at the same time.

Love Lock, Paris by Nazia Akram
Love Lock, Paris by Nazia Akram

The group exhibition ‘The Speaking Walls’, curated by Faraz Siddiqui aka FS Karachiwala, Filmmaker and Creative Producer, explored how walls speak with and without words and communicate with the people surrounding them. They speak the language of beauty and darkness loud and clear, and hold hidden messages for the curious minds to decode.  

Harmony of traditions by Ghulam Hyder Daudpota
Harmony of traditions by Ghulam Hyder Daudpota

The exhibition showcased works of 22 artists at Mainframe Gallery in Karachi recently. The artists explored the glorious days of Pakistani cinema, ceramic artwork, traditions, symbols of the past and gave an insight of some beautiful iconic patterns of Islamic art using the walls as symbol.

Filmscape, circa 1980s by Ahmed Ali Manganhar
Filmscape, circa 1980s by Ahmed Ali Manganhar

Let’s take a look at some of the artworks from the exhibition to appreciate the artists for their tremendous work.

Na main kafir na tu kafir by Fatima Khalid
Na main kafir na tu kafir by Fatima Khalid
Guardians of the coast by Noreen Al
Guardians of the coast by Noreen Al
A roadside story II by Ramsha Rubbani
A roadside story II by Ramsha Rubbani
Once upon a time by Adnan Mairaj
Once upon a time by Adnan Mairaj
What are they telling you? By Shanzay Sabzwari
What are they telling you? By Shanzay Sabzwari