LAHORE: A total of 47 art pieces by Amina Pataudi and Sana Qazi have been put on display in the Alhamra Hall in an effort to revive dying musical instruments of the subcontinent.Amina told Daily Times that the proceeds from the exhibition would be donated to the flood-hit families who had been left into oblivion by the government.Through Amina’s special interest, the art pieces on display were especially brought back from Washington where they had been displayed in the World Music Museum.“In 2009, we painted 47 art pieces of several musical instruments, which were losing their value in the subcontinent. They were later sent to the United States on the request of the World Heritage Museum CEO Zafar Ibrahim in 2009,” Amina said.She said that Ibrahim wanted to conserve the dying musical instruments like sarangi.Recalling the work done by her, Amina said that she had selected 47 art pieces from the four thousand dying instruments of the subcontinent.
“In one painting I showed a girl in ‘Sarasveena’ in a yellow dress who was playing an instrument, which was widely appreciated,” Amina said.She said that a yellow coloured painting, which was also named after the girl was sent to the museum in the US. “Paintings are a good medium to conserve the dying instruments. It has been very rare that musical instruments have been preserved in the paintings,” Amina pointed out.The hard work behind the paintings as well as her efforts to bring the paintings back from the US speaks volumes about her interest in the revival of dying instruments.“I did a lot of research for the paintings as well as for the their selection among 400 instruments,” she said.“The exhibition is being held to generate funds for the flood victims, after my request to Zafar Ibrahim,” Amina claimed.She said that being a Pakistani, she had tried to highlight Pakistani instruments in the world. Amina has taken the exhibition to Islamabad. She plans to travel all the way to Karachi, Dubai, India and Ireland, spreading her artifacts.Amina says that all the paintings will be sent back to the US museum, after the exhibitions are held – Dailytimes
