ISLAMABAD: Several works of Islamic calligraphy, landscape art and whirling dervish paintings hung on the walls of the stall while around a dozen students sat bent over canvases while husband and wife duo Azhar Qureshi and Shagufta watched over them.

The scene is from the Knowledge Art Academy, located in a quiet corner between a long row of stalls at Islamabad’s Sunday, or Itwar, Bazaar, a popular spot for the capital city’s middle classes who come for the affordable shopping and to buy used and cheap items. 

Here, nestled between toys, crockery and ceramics kiosks, the Knowledge Art Academy, a tin roof supported by wooden sticks, offers art classes at the affordable price of around $12 for three months of lessons. 

The teachers are Shagufta and Qureshi, who has a fine arts diploma from Lahore, and has been running the academy for the past 14 years, offering an attractive alternative to pricey art schools in Islamabad.

“Our aim was to start this so that people who are interested in art can easily join our classes,” Shagufta told Arab News at the stall. “Our fee is also very reasonable. Art is a very expensive hobby which not everyone can afford. Since people from all backgrounds come here, that’s why we opted to arrange our setup here.”

The academy has students ranging from age five to those in their eighties.

“I was interested in learning how to paint,” Zamad Ahmed, a second year intermediate student who attends the academy with his 15-year-old sister Fatima, told Arab News. “But due to affordability I never learned it. But after my mother stumbled upon this place, I knew I had to attend it.”

Another student is Abdul Bari, an 81-year-old retired bank manager, who visits the academy weekly to pursue his passion for Islamic calligraphy.

“After retiring as a bank manager and marrying off my kids, I have been coming here for a year-and-a-half to learn from the maestro himself,” Bari said. 

“It has been 1.5 to 2 years that I have come here to learn. I am retired so I come here to spend time, and by the grace of Allah, I have learned a lot from here also.”

“HEALTHY ACTIVITY”

Art schools in Pakistan, particularly those offering undergraduate programs, can be quite expensive, with some institutions charging upwards of $2,500 per year for tuition alone. The National College of Arts (NCA) is a notable example of a public university that offers art programs and has relatively high tuition fees. Other expenses, such as accommodation and transportation, can further contribute to the overall cost of attending art school in Pakistan. 

This attracts many to the low-cost Knowledge Art Academy. 

A middle-aged corporate professional who only identified himself by his first name Ijaz said he had admitted his three daughters to the academy so they could do something “productive” during their summer vacations at an affordable price. 

“We have come to generate healthy activities for them,” he said. “Rather than sitting at home and wasting time on gadgets, on mobile or watching movies. I just want to generate some healthy activity so that they can learn something.”

While Qureshi said he had received various offers from prestigious art schools and institutions, he was committed to remain focused on his humble setup.

“I’ve even been told to move to a proper building or classroom and teach from there,” Qureshi said. “But that would increase the fees and affect my students who come here to follow their passion. I don’t want to disturb them.”

And his dedication has borne fruit, with several of his students pursuing fine arts formally while others have become art teachers and freelance artists.
 
Rabiya Noureen, 34, who learnt to paint at the Knowledge Art Academy, now runs her own classes. 

“I learned painting from here and now have my own academy,” she said. “Now, my students even take commissioned painting work and earn money.”