Manaal

منال

Growing up in Pakistan I was always surrounded by its rich, beautiful culture that adorned the country. I always admired how even the language within itself was a form of art, that touched each paper and intertwined itself into much of Pakistans artwork. But most importantly, the people of Pakistan are the artworks that show the deep-rooted culture of my beloved country. This is why my project is quite personal.

My project, looks into the colour and pattern work of Pakistan, and this oil painting is of a woman from the tribes of Hunza, and how the culture that covers her makes her Pakistan's work of art.

Take a look inside my sketchbook...

Pakistan is made up five provinces. Each embedded with its own unique way of life, its own traditions , patterns and art. The two this sketchbook follows are those close to my roots; Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Ceramic Flowers

My final piece...

I wanted my final piece to combine all the aspects of Pakistan's cultural patterns and colours. Each layer of this shadow box symbolises a different aspect of my investigation and more important the layers of Pakistani culture.

The ceramic layer of flowers represents the repetition within the patterns as well as the intricacy. The paper cut layer, inspired by my artist Donna Ruff, shows an intricate Arabic pattern paper cut, to reflect how Pakistan's culture has been influenced by Islamic culture. The last layer, an oil painting, in the style of Shehzil Malik, represents the people, who are the representatives of Pakistan's culture.

Artist Influences...

The two artists that inspired my work were Shehzil Malik and Donna Ruff. Malik's work style was quite different from mine which did pose a challenge, however, I admired how her use of simplicity can spread such in-depth messages. And Ruff has been an artist I have admired since Year 11 simply because of the level of intricacy that goes into her work, to carve out the meaning behind her papercuts.

Next Steps...

Next year I will hopefully be studying Law in Scotland. My aim is to one day become an international lawyer, and be able to advocate for the injustices in the world, much like the artists that inspired my project.

Manchester Art Fair

I am quite excited about the Manchester art fair, and for my work to be up with many gifted artists. I am hoping that my final piece will be displayed as I would like to share my culture with the rest of the world. The Manchester Art Fair will also allow me to meet other talented artists and to learn the method and the story behind their art. An event like this is important as it allows artists to further pursue the creativity.

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