Freedom of Expression, from Behind Bars

“{ARTpeace}”

Artist: Ashfaq

Artwork Code: Ap-ash-007

Availability: In Stock

Medium: oil on canvas

Size: 20 x 30 Inch

Everyone should have the chance to discover their positive side. Not many people have the vision or understanding to provide this chance to those who may need it the most.

In 2007, a Fine Arts School was established in Karachi Central Jail. The idea was to not let human resources further waste away; to provide them a constructive outlet, and to give them the chance to discover something positive inside themselves. This simple step of reaching out to jail inmates and providing them a ray of normalcy has changed the course of lives of some of the inmates.

In 2009, the first exhibition of works prepared by these art students was held in the jail premises. Naturally, given the security conditions, only a handful of people visited the exhibition. The venue was then shifted to art galleries, and has since been warmly received by Karachiites. 

Sikandar Jogi has been teaching these prisoners the art of art for the past 8 years.  He has taught this skill to over 500 prisoners to date. “When I first entered the classroom and saw the prisoners I was terrified. Gradually I got used to being around convicts arrested for murder, terrorism, drugs, fraud, theft, kidnapping and other crimes. Now I feel honoured and gratified that I can draw such work out of them and create this change in their lives. The result I get is very rewarding.”

After the success of the program in Central Jail, it has been implemented in District Jail Malir as well. Sikander Jogi teaches in both Art Schools three times a week in the school hours of 9 to 1 and 2 to 5. “These inmates are not artists. They had no previous art experience.  We have assembled this exhibition over 15 months.”

When you enter the room, the sight of the vibrant paintings with the artists’ names on the side is disconcerting and unsettling. It opens an unknown portal out of your comfort zone and into unchartered emotions where a prisoner is not a numbered criminal but is a human with a name whose feelings have suddenly been exposed to you.

Artist: Faraz

Artwork Code: Ap-far-007

Availability: SOLD

Medium: Water Color on Paper

Size: 18 x 24 Inch

Artist: Ahsan

Artwork Code: Ap-ahs-001

Availability: SOLD

Medium: oil on canvas

Size: 20 x 28 Inch

Artist: Husnain

Artwork Code: Ap-hus-002
Availability: SOLD
Medium: oil on canvas

Size: 24 x 36 Inch

A maze depicts the feeling of being trapped; religious calligraphy is the sign of timeless hope through prayer; landscapes with open fields and skies, a running horse and a butterfly in flight show longing for freedom.  Bleak, barren landscapes display 

despondency. An unlocked padlock on a shut door is a poignant symbol of hope amid despair. A ship sailing in stormy waters shows the defiance and resilience of the human spirit.  A child holding an adult's hand in a doorway is nostalgic. Bright colours and everyday themes show the desire to stay in touch with and return to normalcy. 

Artist: Javed

Artwork Code: Ap-Jav-008

Availability: SOLD

Medium: oil on canvas

Size: 14 x 20 inch

Artist: Akber

Artwork Code: Ap-akb-002

Availability: SOLD

Medium: oil on canvas

Size: 18 x 24 Inch

Artist: Rafaqat

Artwork Code: Ap-Saj-002

Availability: In Stock

Medium: oil on canvas

Size: 20 x 26 Inch

Artist: Kazim

Artwork Code: Ap-kaz-011

Availability: SOLD

Medium: oil on canvas

Size: 18 x 24 Inch

Artist: Kazim

Artwork Code: Ap-kaz-002

Availability: In Stock

Medium: oil on canvas

Size: 24 x 30 Inch

Artist: Husnain

Artwork Code: Ap-hus-009

Availability: SOLD

Medium: oil on canvas

Size: 14 x 14 Inch

The soulful art is obviously a cathartic vent for their desolate state. It humanizes them and creates empathy in the viewer.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1064926353532857

Visitors at the gallery were appreciative of the exhibition. “A good response to their positive effort will encourage the development of their positive side,” said Nina Qadir.

A total of 112 pieces of art by 16 different artists are on display. Some of the artwork is quite impressive. Several pieces were sold within an hour of the opening, especially the strong abstract work, as well as my personal favourite piece showing Islamic architecture.

Artist: Kazim

Artwork Code: Ap-kaz-003

Availability: SOLD

Medium: oil on canvas

Size: 20 x 24 Inch

Artist: Kazim

Artwork Code: Ap-kaz-009

Availability: SOLD

Medium: oil on canvas

Size: 14 x 20 Inch

All the artwork has been kept at a very reasonable, uniform price, and all proceeds from sales will go to the imprisoned artists and their families to encourage them to explore better avenues for themselves.

ARTCITI, the host gallery, explains: “We aim to provide them an opportunity to channel their energy into something positive, along with a chance to raise self-respect and confidence within themselves in order to become positive contributors to the society. By encouraging these convicts to move to a better path, we aspire to create a greater Pakistan, and hope to see our fellow citizens being a part of this cause.”

Details of the exhibition can be found at https://www.facebook.com/events/544597559016696/?fref=ts

Fitting Back into My Old Clothes Challenge: Day 2 and 3

DAY 2: SUNDAY 22.2.2015

Yesterday I went for long distance cycling. Since my main goal was to cover the distance, I had to keep eating to sustain my energy levels during and after the ride. Yesterday was not a diet day.

Today I woke up still feeling famished from the ride and started meals early, so making today’s diet chart was a bit challenging. I don’t know if I’ll be able to follow it though. If I get too hungry, I’ll add in more meals.

DAY 3: MONDAY 23.2.2015

6.30 am	Coffee with full cream milk. No sugar, of course.
7.00 am	Power breakfast to handle the hunger. A bowl of full cream bio yogurt with dates, nuts, bananas and seasonal strawberry. A juice shop on Badar Commercial has named their drink of milk, yogurt, dates, nuts and banana ‘Powerful Shake.’  I’m guessing they must have meant Power Shake but Powerful Shake really does describe this combo better. This bowl normally tides me over till noon but today might not go so far.  I ate it before going for a chai paratha breakfast. A full stomach will help me say no to the tempting greasy food there.
8.00 am	Doodh patti at a dhaba, and only 2 small bites of a delicious garma garam aloo ka paratha.
9.00 am	A boiled egg
10.00 am	A loose jacket
11.00 am	Some sweet potato
12 00 noon	A double masala breast piece chicken tikka; no roti
1.00 pm	Clear soup
3.00 pm	Salad
5.00 pm	A guava
7.00 pm	Some lentil soup to fill my stomach before going out for dinner
8.00 pm	Nihari/paya dinner (not part of dieting, but an essential part of Karachi life). I’ll try to contain the quantity.
9.00 pm	Cinnamon and ginger qahva to burn off the nihari/paya.

So far today's NO includes: 

Aloo ka paratha, straight off the tawa

Lindt Assorted Chocolates

• Early dinners help keep a paunch at bay.
• Drinking lots of water helps in staying full and hydrated. 

Fitting Back into My Old Clothes Challenge

Once upon a time I used to be painfully skinny, in the days when skinny wasn’t fashionable. 

After a lot of mindless eating (made possible by being with people who indulged in a lot of mindless eating) I finally put on weight - so much weight that one day, when my eyes finally saw instead of just looking, I could not recognize those flabby arms, legs, bums and tum.  

The shock of that sight galvanized me into working for 2 years to lose all that fat to reach a happy, healthy medium, with a combo of consciously eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly, something I had never done before.

The results were satisfying. I became more active, alert, flexible, mobile and productive, not just physically but also mentally. My persistent allergies became less persistent. My general health tests and scans started yielding good results.

Of course the satisfaction had to turn to complacency. I received my wake-up call yesterday when I wore an old short-length shalwar qameez. 

Mission: Must fit back into this

I could barely squeeze into it and though I insisted on wearing it, it was strangling my whole torso from neck down. I weighed myself and discovered I have put on 15 kg since last year.

Since I have started exercising I can make some weight provision for muscle mass. But there’s a limit to that provision. The rest is clearly fat mass. This was inevitable with my steadily increasing eating out, food portions and intake of junk food, mostly chips and chocolate cake. I have been exercising regularly but that’s not helping anymore because of the excess food I’m consuming. I need to couple it with a few weeks of focused eating-with-awareness.

So I’m seriously starting my diet plan from today, not tomorrow. My sister helped me lose weight last time with a 1500 calorie diet plan she had got from somewhere; I’ll just try to remember her diet plan and follow that. My target is to just lose the extra mass to fit back into that shirt.

  

Today I’ve checked all I have in the fridge and have made a list (lists always help me) of the food to avoid and to eat today.

Today I must NOT eat these:

Leftover spaghetti and scalloped potatoes

Last night's kabab roll

Nimco's crinkly chilli chips that I had been nibbling

Chocolate cake sent by someone 

Chocolates, also sent by someone

 

More chocolates 

Some more chocolates

Homemade gajar ka halwa

Today's Meal Plan

 DAY 1: SATURDAY, 21.2.2015

9.00 am	Coffee with milk. Coffee for increased metabolism and milk for my dairy intake of the day. I’ve started    taking full cream milk now because I felt the skimmed milk was making my skin look rookha sookha and also of course because the coffee just wouldn’t get frothy.
9.30 am	Boiled egg. No to salt, yes to black pepper. Egg for the rotein and increased metabolism and black pepper for the flavor and increased metabolism.
10.00 am	A couple of bair. Full of nutrition and energy.
11.00 am	Fresh yogurt with dates and nuts. A refreshing energy booster.
12 noon	A giant slab of chapli kabab from the protein pyramid, with half a roti. I have an early lunch to avoid hunger pangs that can lead to famished overeating.
1 00 pm	A ‘qahva’ of ginger and cinnamon to burn off the chapli kabab.
2 00 pm	A salad of carrot, cucumber, tomato, green pepper, cauliflower florets, cabbage, lettuce (all metabolism boosters) with a light dressing of olive oil (a good oil) and lemon juice (a metabolism booster) that will not defeat the purpose of the salad.
3 00 pm	Some pieces of boiled sweet potato (a good weight loss filler).
4 00 pm	A clear soup made from a small piece of chicken, tomato, carrot and cabbage leaf. I’ll add a dash of lemon, tobacco sauce and white pepper (metabolism and taste boosters) using a friend’s recipe.
5 00 pm	A serving of fruit for energy and fibre.
6 00 pm	Tea or green tea, depending on my mood and need.
7 00 pm	An early dinner of aloo gosht (protiens and some carbs), half a roti and kachumar.
9 00 pm	A tablespoon of ispaghol mixed in a glass of water.

 I usually have an earlier start but today was a gorgeous Saturday morning so I snoozed in bed. (Snoozing is sometimes more fun than actual sleeping because you’re kind of awake to enjoy the fact that you’re sleeping.) Since I got up late and missed my exercise, I can manage with a slightly less amount of food.

·         This is just a guideline which I will naturally adjust to maintain good health, stamina and temper.

·         I have already adjusted from mindless overeating to a controlled calorie intake, so this should be easy for me to follow.

·         I keep a week’s supply of dates, nuts, salad, fruit and small chicken pieces (for clear soup) and prepare the day’s meals in advance so that I don’t binge on junk food when I get hungry.

·         I keep eating small portions often to not reach hunger point.

·         I take prescription multivitamins and supplements.

·         My medical tests are clear.

·         It helps and inspires me when my family and friends also eat healthy and exercise.

·         It certainly costs less to eat junk food than to eat healthy food.

·         I hope I do not cave in to that chocolate cake.

Birds and Blooms: Grin and 'bair' it

Since January, my no-fuss, low-maintenance bair shrub (a perfect plant for a ground-zero gardener like myself) has been yielding heaps of bair or jujube, a popular local fruit in Pakistan. 

I planted a sapling three years ago in my small strip of a veggie patch. It is a sunny/shady spot, and with a regular, average amount of watering the soil stays moist. We keep the evergreen, thorny shrub pruned to about 2 meters high as it tends to grow vigorously. The branches spread out wildly and droop low. The hardy shrub stays unfazed by Karachi's hot, humid aridity, irregular soil fertilising, extreme heat, careless over watering and enforced dry bouts. In December, the appearance of tiny yellow flowers that look like fuzz heralds the onset of fruit. From January to March the branches are adorned with fruit that hangs like Christmas lights. Three times a week we pick about a kg of bair, at a pace faster than we can eat them or share them with the help, family, friends and neighbours. I can easily give the bair puchcarts a run for their money. One season's harvest is approximately 20 kgs. It would be a great idea to grow these shrubs in public places for free food. 

Last year when we pruned the shrub in the summer months after fruiting season, to promote healthier regrowth, I earnestly willed for it to grow back the very next day, like a magic beanstalk. The lush shrub had been reflecting/absorbing the heat of the overhead midday sun that beats down relentlessly through my room window. Once it was pruned, the sun baked my room to furnace degrees. When the fresh, shiny green leaves grew back again they resumed their job of shielding my room. Now the filtered sunlight and air that blows into my room is cooler and sweeter than any artificial air conditioning. 

We pick the fruit when it looks like it has grown to its fullest size, like a balloon blown to the max, or a baby's puffed, rosy cheeks. I prefer to eat them when they are still green, when the skin is crispy and the flesh is white, sweet and juicy, like mini apples. When they ripen to a yellow ochre and then a bronzed orange they become wrinkly. The flesh turns pale, spongy, soft and mealy and has a strong musky smell.  They ripen quickly, especially if left in a bag, so I keep them in an open fruit bowl and race to finish them before they start ripening. 

I looked up its benefits online and apparently I have a potent potion growing in my veggie patch: the various parts of the jujube tree and fruit are rich in nutrition, antioxidants, minerals such as manganese, iron, phosphorus and calcium and Vitamin C, A and B2; improve strength, stamina, general health and wellbeing and immunity; can heal cuts, wounds, sores, gingivitis, gout, rheumatism, backache, ulcers, liver troubles, diarrhea, dysentery, indigestion, biliousness, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pains in pregnancy, pulmonary ailments, sore throats, asthma, fevers, insomnia, anxiety, hair fall and acne; and are used as eye lotions, laxatives, relaxants, sedatives, poultices and even as biodiesel. 

I do wish some people could also be no-talk, just-walk like the no-nakhra bair shrub. 

FoodPursuit: The Mixed Chaat Plate

The best way to eat chaat is to pile several chatpata elements together to make a delicious mass of sweet, tangy, spicy chutneyness called the mixed chaat plate:  a simple layering of tender, falling-apart channa; dense, firm khatay aloo; soft dahi phulkis; crispy samosas; crunchy flakes of papri; cooling yogurt; fiery green chillies and a hot masala sprinkle to create a sweet and savoury explosion of textures and flavours that can keep you happily full for hours.

The base is always the staple channa chaat, with lots of chopped onions, tomatoes, corainder leaves, green chillies, zippy imli chutney and custom-made chaat masala. 

Khatay aloo - tangy potatoes cooked in a profusion of spices that are enhanced with a tarka of curry leaves.

                                                              

The crispy shell and the soft, spicy filling of the samosa (either aloo or qeema) is a texture booster. 

                                                               

The garlicky yogurt of the dahi phulkis seeps into the lower layers like a sea of lava and emulsifies them. 

                                                                 

A garnish of spicy papri flakes and more condiments for more pleasure makes a mixed chaat complete.

A happy plate, also known as a mixed chaat plate