The artists of today are the torchbearers of cultural and creative activities of Pakistan. Their beliefs, practices and manifestos will shape the spirit of our time and future of our upcoming generation. It is important to create visibility and give voice to the creative individuals and promote their practices emotionally and intellectually.
This is precisely why a group of friends in Islamabad consisting of two artists, a designer and an architect - Hurmat, Sundas, Sabahat and Zehra - created The Art of Small Talk (AOST), a series of workshops which aim to create a community dedicated to the arts.
Since May 2022 to date, AOST has hosted a series of hands-on workshops. The workshops provide participants of all ages and levels the opportunity to learn something new from teachers and professionals of institutions as well as makers who push the envelope in material experimentation and innovative ways of creating.
"The workshops we offer are varied - they have included botanical water-color painting, making polymer jewelry, mindfulness through art, storytelling and crafts for kids to learning how to make bio-plastics in the coming week - each aims to bring new ideas and objects into your homes. We invite practicing artists and designers to conduct these workshops and share their skills and knowledge with the participants," explained Zehra, the architect.
There was also the recognition of the need for 'connection' something which became of value during the pandemic. Added to the mix was the recognition to move away from screens and engage with Nature in a constructive manner.
"The workshops encourage us to be social beings who thrive on personal interactions and shared experiences. Alot of the enquiries through our social media have been requests to conduct them online, a practice from the pandemic era that has no doubt made it alot easier to access skills. However, we are of the opinion that so much of our time is already spent on a screen whether for work or socialisation and that we should offer a break. For example it was wonderful to do a guided walk around the green belts close to our studio in F-7 Markaz in Islamabad to collect plants for our cyanotype workshop, something that cannot be replicated in an online experience," said Zehra.
This is precisely why a group of friends in Islamabad consisting of two artists, a designer and an architect - Hurmat, Sundas, Sabahat and Zehra - created The Art of Small Talk (AOST), a series of workshops which aim to create a community dedicated to the arts.
Since May 2022 to date, AOST has hosted a series of hands-on workshops. The workshops provide participants of all ages and levels the opportunity to learn something new from teachers and professionals of institutions as well as makers who push the envelope in material experimentation and innovative ways of creating.
"The workshops we offer are varied - they have included botanical water-color painting, making polymer jewelry, mindfulness through art, storytelling and crafts for kids to learning how to make bio-plastics in the coming week - each aims to bring new ideas and objects into your homes. We invite practicing artists and designers to conduct these workshops and share their skills and knowledge with the participants," explained Zehra, the architect.
There was also the recognition of the need for 'connection' something which became of value during the pandemic. Added to the mix was the recognition to move away from screens and engage with Nature in a constructive manner.
"The workshops encourage us to be social beings who thrive on personal interactions and shared experiences. Alot of the enquiries through our social media have been requests to conduct them online, a practice from the pandemic era that has no doubt made it alot easier to access skills. However, we are of the opinion that so much of our time is already spent on a screen whether for work or socialisation and that we should offer a break. For example it was wonderful to do a guided walk around the green belts close to our studio in F-7 Markaz in Islamabad to collect plants for our cyanotype workshop, something that cannot be replicated in an online experience," said Zehra.