INTRODUCTION

I cannot say exactly when or where I first began to realize that “art” would become my vocation. Growing up in Mirpurkhas, a remote area in Pakistan, that does not have any conventional art activities associated with larger towns, I remember on my way to school seeing a sign painter that used to work in calligraphy and make portraits. Watching him at work motivated me to attempt calligraphy and make sketches on my schoolbooks.

Later, as an art student at the National College of Art, Lahore, I explored the various disciplines in sculpture, I found what I had been searching for all along. It helped me develop my scenes and increased my awareness towards the world around me. I learnt to see and feel my surroundings in an entirely new way. I found my passion.

The human form for me is the most important phenomenon of the Universe. It is a major source of inspiration in my work. Additive processes like modelling and subtractive processes like carving behave in very different ways. I enjoy working in both mediums to reveal varied forms.

I find wood to be a sympathetic medium; its organic nature enhances my quest and continues it. My carvings in wood set out to explore numerous questions arising from the changing circumstances of my life. I have no conclusions, so my work speaks of the mysteries and ambiguities faced in this process.