A display of exquisitely detailed marble mosaics created by female craftsmen from impoverished regions of Islamabad, who received training from the National Rural Support Programme (NRSP), was organised by the SerenArts Programme.
The Serena Hotel launched SerenArts as a way to support local artists and provide them with a venue to exhibit and sell their creations.
“The programme is especially grateful to Aziz Boolani, CEO of the hotel, for his support and vision in supporting socially responsible activities,” stated Asma Khan, the creator of Satrang Gallery.
The exhibit, which runs until March 3, features a variety of items for sale as well as a tiny area where groups of female craftspeople show visitors how the mosaics are created.
Upon viewing the exhibit, the French ambassador, Philippe Thiebaud, remarked, “We have mosaics in France that date back 2,000 years to the Roman era. It is a kind of art that is both weatherproof and portable.
Some of the larger pieces that might be turned into outside furniture really appealed to him.
The Social and Human Protection Programme of the NRSP includes the Women Empowerment Programme for the marble mosaic sector. The project’s objective is to enhance the social and economic circumstances of marginalised areas’ vulnerable populations and resource-poor populations. Forty mosaic craftsmen were successfully made during the pilot phase.
Marble mosaics have a hundred-year shelf life, in contrast to many DIY products, according to Dr. Rashid Bajwa, CEO of NRSP.
“It is a skill that can generate sustainable incomes for many households by turning a waste product into art,” the speaker continued.
Mosaic art has been around for about 4,000 years. It takes an incredible amount of time and labour to construct, but the result is a wonderfully displayed union of intricate, vivid patterns and pictures reflected in the austerity and solidity of stone.
“NRSP is working towards women empowerment through facilitating eco-friendly businesses,” stated Jublee Bano, the programme officer for the NRSP.
She continued by saying that having the show at Serena has been a fantastic way to gain visibility because important figures from the diplomatic and construction sectors have been coming by.
The craftsmen, who typically work at the NRSP centre in Sihala, believed that having this forum to showcase their talents will improve their work.
The NRSP provided training to Sobia Hashmi, Rubina Shah, and Musarrat Bibi.
They had already conducted shows in Nust in Islamabad and Lahore, according to Rubina Shah. Sobia continued, saying that even after the training, NRSP had continued to be extremely helpful in providing the artists with daily stipends, transportation to and from the centre, and the raw marble needed to make the sculptures.
Small mosaic tiles, borders, and pots to much bigger table tops, wall hangings, and flooring are all examples of their work. Together with a wide variety of Islamic geometric themes, the designs also feature a more contemporary free-form abstract selection.
The nicest thing about these pieces, according to Asma Khan, is that bad weather does not harm them, making them excellent for the garden. It makes sense to employ the leftover materials from the mining process to produce functional and exquisite pieces because Pakistan is one of the major marble-producing nations, with over 70 different varieties of marble mined there.
