Indian, Pakistani artists collaborate for exhibition

Nine women artists, five from India and the remaining from Pakistan are collaborating to display a visual panorama of artworks depicting the shared culture of the two countries.
The six-day exhibition, "Colours of Hope" scheduled to begin here on March 28 has been organised by Empowerment, an NGO, which advocates the use of art and culture as a tool for social change.
Artists from Pakistan include Ayesha Durrani, Fizza Saleem, Amna Ilyas, Romessa Khan and Mariam Khan. Participants from India are Gogi Saroj Pal, Seema Kohli, Nupur Kundu, and Sonika Agarwal.
Apart from exhibiting three works each, the artists would also collaborate to produce a 10-metre long canvas.

"This exhibition sets the stage for a unique interaction between highly charged minds from various backgrounds, styles and schools of thought. It hopes to bring to the fore the common heritage and culture of both nations and inspire the youth to be more empathetic and understanding," said Kumar Vikas Saxena who heads the NGO.
The event is aimed at helping people understand that the people across the border share the same ideas, feelings and anxieties as themselves, he said.
Pakistani artist Ayesha Durrani who explores issues of female bondage through recurring images of roses and mannequins. She uses the faceless dressmaker's mannequin or 'dummy' as a form to explore the confines of the female body and its place in patriarchal society.

"I am not a feminist in a rebel sort of way but yes I want more rights, I am not content with just equality. As a woman I want to be both a nurturer and nurtured. I want freedom, choice and being looked after, and I don't need a man for that," says the artist about her works.