Islamabad gallery helps young creators break into local art scene

ISLAMABAD: Dua Gilani has no formal art training and doors of Pakistani galleries have been closed for her, like they are for many other lesser-known artists. But now they are hopeful for change, as an Islamabad-based art collective is on a mission to help them break into the country’s art scene.
PK Art Collective was founded by Shanaya Alizai Khan last year to support budding talent from all creative fields. With a large gallery space in Islamabad’s Banigala area, it held its third open-air exhibition on Sunday to promote 20 emerging artists such as Gilani and help them sell their work.
“It’s a big opportunity because other places need you to have a degree and they need you to be able to pay them, and either we cannot do it or we do not have those degrees,” Gilani told Arab News as she showcased her work.
“Shanaya has made it so that all of us feel comfortable here and respected,” the psychology student from Lahore said. “It’s something I’ve always been scared of showing people what I make because it’s so much of who I am.”

Khan only requires that artists bring their work and does not charge them for presenting it.
“Our goal is to get up and coming artists, those who haven’t had a chance to be in an exhibition before together, in a large number, where they can feel safe and supported showing their work for the first time,” Khan said. “We are promoting creativity, promoting confidence.”
“All of these artists are not only young but some of us have not gone to art school, so it’s nice having this dedicated space for all kinds of artists even those that did not go the traditional route and get degrees.”

The first of PK Art Collective’s exhibitions was in March, followed by another one in July.
At each of them, Khan said, participating artists managed to sell at least one of their presented artworks.

Former lawyer Sohni Farrukh, who quit her profession and started taking miniature painting classes last year, said she has sold many of her art pieces since her first appearance in the PK Art Collective’s event three months ago.
“It’s scary and daunting to be showing again but I love that this gallery set up and that it’s giving a chance to artists without the art background like me,” Farrukh told Arab News. “In Pakistan there are very few opportunities in the larger art world unless you’re from an art school or have those kinds of contacts within the art world who can promote you.”