Ever met a bartender who made $900 in tips in two hours? Meet Priyanka Mathew – she accomplished this – and all in the name of philanthropic imbibitions! Mathew, who is in reality Director of the Aicon Gallery in Manhattan, had probably never thought she’d be mixing drinks and looking for tips – until she went to Pakistan.
Browsing: Salima Hashmi
Riveting.
That’s probably the word one is searching for when asked about the new face of Pakistani art which is now being shown in art centers internationally. For a country in so much pain politically and socially – not to mention economically – Pakistan is surprisingly on top of things where art is concerned.
While Indian contemporary art has been on the international stage for a while now, the next big thing may well be Pakistani artists. These artists have been working steadfastly in their home country through war, terror attacks and the slow disintegration of civil society, and finally the international art world is becoming aware of their work.
Media may tend to dwell on the bad news, on the unraveling of Pakistani society, but the art tends to give a more nuanced picture of Pakistan’s rich culture and history, its complex and diverse people.