Struggle of woman and her journey from childhood to the old age as portrayed in 12th Century’s Persian mystic poet Fariduddin Attar’s ‘Mantiq-ut-Tair’ has inspired Samia Saad, an emerging artist and graduate of the National College of the Arts Rawalpindi.
She has drawn Attar’s women on the canvas giving them a mystic appeal and unique dimension to her work.
Artists, writers, poets, students and members of family assembled at the Writers’ Hall of the Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) to attend the maiden exhibition of Samia Saad’s artworks.
They took keen interest in more than a dozen artworks put on display and commended her sensibility and craft.
The exhibition was jointly organized by the PAL and the Katas Raaj Art Gallery.
It was a well-attended event as artists like Abbas Shah, Ahmed Habib and Nauman Farooq were there to evaluate and critically appreciate Samia Saad’s works.
Recipient of Kamal-e-Funn Award (2023) and acclaimed poet, Iftikhar Arif cut the ribbon to inaugurate the exhibition.
He was the Chief Guest on the occasion.
Another recipient of the Kamal-e-Funn Award (2015) and celebrated writer and poet Kishwar Nahid was the guest of honour on the occasion.
Iftikhar Arif while praising her devotion and passion for work wished Samia a great success in the days to come.
You have a long journey to go and I believe you will win laurels, he said.
Kishwar Nahid also appreciated Samia Saad’s choice (woman’s struggle) as main theme of her poetry.
It is good that you are greatly inspired by women as depicted in Fariduddin Attar’s ‘Mantiq-ut-Tair’ but I shall urge you to also highlight the sufferings of the women of Gaza and Kashmir, she said and appreciated her treatment of colours and themes.
Abbas Shah also saw in Samia making of an accomplished artist and wished her success.
Ahmed Habib in his detailed analysis of Samia Saad’s art highlighted different dimensions of her art.
The way she picks her colours, selects her theme and gives title to the portraits of women lends his art a particular appeal and this is something only a master artist can deal with.
Samia’s father-in-law and well-known fiction writer Hameed Shahid also spoke about her passion for work and attention to details.
Nauman Farooq also discussed different dimension of Samia Saad’s art and congratulated her on working on such a vast level.
Mehboob Zafar conducted the proceedings of the event.
Later, while expressing gratitude to the critics, well-wishers, ‘aunts and uncles’ Samia said it was her passion to draw women’s journey from birth till end.
In my view, dreams give a girl, wings to fly in the air and it is dream that completes her life.
I want that every girl sees the dream particularly the girls in the street, those picking trash from the streets and working as maid and workers in society.
I shall continue to relate them in my paintings, she vowed.
