Sharjah Museums Department Launches "Trajectories: 19th-21st Century Printmaking From India And Pakistan"

Sharjah Museums Department is proud to announce the opening of “Trajectories: 19th-21st Century Printmaking from India and Pakistan” under the patronage of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council member and Ruler of Sharjah, at the Sharjah Art Museum the evening of 10 September.

The exhibition was inaugurated by His Excellency Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of Sharjah Media Centre and Sharjah Media Corporation who was given a guided tour by Guest Co-Curators Dr. Paula Sengupta, an artist, academic, art critic and curator based in Calcutta, India, and Camilla H. Chaudhry, a Dubai-based independent curator from Karachi, Pakistan. They were accompanied by HE Manal Ataya Director General of SMD, and Mr. Hisham Al Madhloum, Director of Art Directorate at the Department of Culture and Information in Sharjah.

A diverse crowd made up of the emirates’ avid art enthusiasts, writers, scholars, and members of the South Asian community all came together to view the exhibition.

The opening marked a historic moment, as “Trajectories” is the first exhibition to present printmaking from India and Pakistan at a cultural institution in the Middle East.

In total, 157 rare and noteworthy prints from around 50 artists are on display in the show, which aims to introduce a UAE audience to the Sub-continent’s major printmaking schools and movements, while also providing a bridge for discussion and dialogue regarding the multifaceted relationship between India and Pakistan.

The show’s two guest Co-Curators Dr. Paula Sengupta and Camilla Hadi Chaudhry actively engaged with the public to discuss the recurring themes and individual masterpieces that together comprise “Trajectories.”

The exhibition presents work in 6 distinct sections, broken down in chronological order from the 19th century up until the present day, beginning with popular picture production in the Subcontinent, through printmaking in the major art schools, the birth of artistic printmaking, Partition and points of diversification, Modernism, and ultimately concluding with an exploration of redefining contemporary practices.

Visitors are invited to view rare, seminal work by such artists as, Narendra Kesari Roy, Gaganendranath Tagore, Mukul Dey, Benode Behari Mukherjee, Saeed Akhtar, Zahur-ul-Akhlaq, Haren Das, Anwar Jalal Shemza, Archana Hande, Usman Ghouri, and many others.

The exhibition’s exhaustive scope was made possible due to the strong relationships that SMD has cultivated with other cultural institutions and with various galleries and private collectors in India, Pakistan, the United Kingdom, and beyond. All works displayed were provided on temporary loan, and those who generously partnered with SMD to make this possible include The National College of the Arts in Lahore, Pakistan.

Commenting upon the success of the opening, SMD Director General Manal Ataya said,

‘Trajectories’ presents some of the finest achievements in the arts of South Asia, whose cultural legacy and above all whose people have long contributed in many different ways to life in the UAE. The show is homage to them to be sure, but at the same time, it acts as an invitation to all our visitors to engage with artworks that combine a commitment to South Asian art traditions with the claim to a contemporary voice that is universal and speaks to everyone irrespective of cultural or religious background”.

.“Trajectories: 19th-21st Century Printmaking from India and Pakistan” is set to run until 20th November and admission is open to the general public and free of charge. A full catalogue of the exhibition is available to study or purchase at Sharjah Art Museum. A number of educational programs, private guided tours, and a panel discussion to explore the art of printmaking in the Sub-continent will also be held on 13th Sept in conjunction with the exhibition. The two guest co-curators along with printmakers from both India and Pakistan; Nurayah Sheikh Nadi and Priya Pall; will take part in the panel discussion.

Emirate:  Sharjah

Date: Sep 11, 2014

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