KARACHI: Indus Valley School (IVS) of Arts and Architecture has launched a ceramics exhibition entitled ‘Revelations’, featuring art works by nine renowned artists at the IVS gallery, here on Wednesday.

Ceramics, which was once used to be debated a form of craft or a part of art, has now been considered as a form of art and several arts institutions, including IVS are offering four years bachelor degree of arts in ceramics.

Ceramics works by nine artists: Riffat Alvi, Hameer Soomro, Sara Mahmood, Nabahat Lotia, Alia Yousaf, Raania Azam Khan Durrani, Zoona Altaf, Abeer Asim and Fahim Rao was put on display at the exhibition. It was basically a text base exhibition so participants tried to relate their works with text.

All the participants depicted their viewpoints and inner feelings through ceramics in a sophisticated manner. They formed symbols of peace, pots, boxes, pyramids, nets and other sculptures.

The corner of the gallery, where Fahim Rao’s work was on display, grabbed the attention of visitors in a glance as instead of mentioning text on his work, he wrote word ‘Insan’ with clay in 3D style. He was of the view that its nature’s design. He said through my work I am trying to depict such a concept of life as this; where man wants to fly from soil to the sky, desires to meet his god or at times desire to be god himself. God has made man with soil.

Similarly Riffat Alvi, curator of a gallery, displayed her work in the form of portiere or a traditional type of veil named ‘Chilman,’ which was no doubt a class of art piece of ceramics art. She says her work in terra cotta consists of Urdu alphabets and it’s titled, Chilman. It ripples sensually with a touch of finger into sounding clay. It creates a complex visual maze on the wall. The huroofs are depicting and are laden with spiritual meaning due to my deep seated relation with the earth. I call it an affair with the earth.

Abeer, another artist, through her ceramics work, attempted to deliver her message that Pakistan was not a much worst country as it was being portrayed in local and foreign segments of media. Famous legendry artist Jimmy Engineer also visited the exhibition. Commenting onr the work, he praised the efforts of the organisers to promote ceramics. He also stressed the need to introduce and facilitate youngsters in art.

Renowned media personality Aysha Temmi Haq was also present at the ceremony. When asked, she said that she was impressed by the art works displayed in the exhibition. She said, “To me what is on display, is noting like clay. It is being seemed that artists have poured themselves in clay to bestow the clay with a meaning and alive look.”

IVS Gallery curator Ambreen Naz said that the basic purpose to hold a ceramic exhibition was to promote ceramics as a form of art. She said that it was an educational exhibition, adding that all the artists had presented their latest work. She said that though various art promoting circles were trying to promote ceramics, but a decline of youngsters’ trends were witnessed in past some times. To attract students towards ceramics, the gallery was considering to hold the exhibition continuously on annual basis.Daily Times.