QUETTA: A leading sculptor from Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province has put his artwork on sale to help people who were forced from their homes by heavy monsoon rains which began in June and submerged one-third of the country.
The climate-induced floods took more than 1,400 lives while uprooting millions from their hometowns and destroying houses, crops, roads, bridges and other infrastructure across Pakistan.
The scale of the suffering was not easy to endure for Muhammad Ishaq Lehri, a 52-year-old artist who earned public recognition in recent years for creating a massive sculpture of renowned Pakistani philanthropist, Abdul Sattar Edhi, which was installed at an intersection in Quetta.
Sitting in a small garden at his residence, Lehri said he started working on a series of sculptures of 100 leading Pakistanis who tried to bring about positive change in the country.
“After the monsoon rains and destruction caused by floods, I thought what could I do for my people as an artist and decided to sell my work to donate the money for the rehabilitation of people who lost their homes in Balochistan,” he told Arab News.
Lehri did Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1998 and became a sculptor. However, his financial constraints forced him to set aside his passion and take up the job of a set designer at Pakistan Television in 2000.
Muhammad Ishaq Lehri, a Pakistan sculptor from Balochistan, is working on an artwork at his residence in Quetta, Pakistan, on September 10, 2022. (AN Photo)
After staying away from his tools for several years, he decided to fully dedicate himself to his chosen field of art in 2018. This was also the same time when he built Edhi’s sculpture and presented it to the provincial administration of Balochistan.
“I was working on a cultural theme, making a caravan of camels [with clay] which a friend from the United Arab Emirates had presented me,” he said. “But after Abdul Sattar Edhi’s demise, I made a 17-foot-tall statue of him.”
Speaking of the recent floods, he maintained it was his responsibility as an artist to help people who were in dire need of assistance after losing their homes and livelihood.
“I am not asking for donations from people, but I am requesting them to buy my work and I will donate the money to help flood-affected people,” he said.
Lehri informed he had already received calls from interested buyers, though he was waiting to hear from them again.
“Out of a hundred people, I have completed 13 sculptures of Balochistan’s leading political personalities,” he said. “The sculptures of former Balochistan governor Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, former chief minister Sardar Ataullah Mengal, Bacha Khan, former senator Usman Khan Kakar and former member of the National Assembly Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo are ready for sale.”
The artist’s passion to use his craft to help the displaced people in the province has also been applauded by the provincial authorities.
Farrah Azeem Shah, the Balochistan government’s spokesperson, said Lehri had a “sacred cause,” adding it was important to promote such initiatives to ensure the rehabilitation of people displaced by floods.
“People like Ishaq Lehri should be appreciated,” she told Arab News. “The government of Balochistan will support people making such contributions to help flood-affected people in the province.”
