ISLAMABAD: A solo exhibition “Jinns Asleep” by self-taught artist Tamkeen Nadeem would be held at National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage – Lok Virsa on December 16. Executive Director Lok Virsa Talha Ali said that week-long exhibition will continue till December 22 from 11 am to 8 pm at NIFTH, Art Gallery.
He said that COVID-19 SOP’s would be followed and mask is mandatory. Artist Tamkeen Nadeem is a self-taught artist living in Islamabad. She received her Masters degree in Mass Communication from Kinnaird University, Lahore.
Tamkeen worked in advertising for 11 years, after which she launched her own social business CHARU, committed to empowering farmers by bringing rare and indigenous produce of Pakistan to global markets.
Tamkeen is the Project Lead and Editor of a monumental book on crafts and women artisans of Pakistan, Embroidering Dreams. She has also illustrated a poem, Shakarparian, about a spiritual hill located in Islamabad.
Tamkeen now works as a consultant for non-profits and social businesses. At heart she is a bibliophile and a devoted painter.
Talking to reporter, Tamkeen Nadeem said growing up she never thought about becoming an artist, but she continued to paint everyday.
“My paintings celebrate the diversity and the abundance of our planet”, she added. Tamkeen is inspired by traditional miniature and aboriginal art motifs. “I am fascinated by the intricate patterns and colours found in nature, and mimic the lustrous natural world on paper, stones, slates, and found objects”, she said.
Lately, guided by her energy and obsession with colour, she have been painting Jinns in imaginary landscapes, inspired by my travels across Pakistan’s remote regions.
Walking long distances, hiking in high altitude mountains, and then painting from my memory, has become signature of my work.
Having no formal training in the arts enables me to approach a blank canvas like a child; with an ability to trust the unknown, and go at it single-mindedly with purpose; delivering physical energy to a surface. Any surface. Colour comes first, and the content develops later.
“My art is a reminder that we alone are the custodians of our planet and can live well and beyond, by becoming one with our environment”, she added.