Pakistani Art

I just returned from my first trip to Islamabad, Pakistan. It was such a wonderful trip, visiting with my husband's parents and sister, and getting to know them better. I learned a lot through our conversations and outings. One of my favorite things, of course, was seeing all the beautiful arts, crafts, and architecture!! I couldn't help but buy some of beautiful textiles, necklaces, or carvings I saw....just doing my part to help the economy in Pakistan! ;) And now I will do my part to share a LITTLE bit of the beauty of Pakistani art with you, friends!....keep in mind that Pakistan is surrounded by other countries (India, China, Iran, Afghanistan) who have influenced the arts and architecture of the country.


Said Pur Village: This is a very old village in Islamabad, but it is being renovated in order to bring more tourists in.


Faisal Mosque: One of the largest mosques in the world, designed by a Turkish architect.


Carved door at Heritage Museum: There are many wood carvings that you can see in the architecture, as well as in handicrafts, such as the beautiful plates and boxes in the last picture below.


Wooden, painted chairs: These are from a small village in Rawalpindi. The old style of bed, found more in small villages, can also still be seen. The legs are carved and painted colorfully, but the "mattress" is woven like a hammock (similar to the seat of these chairs).


Textiles: This artist is weaving on an old style loom. I learned to do this in college but I don't remember - It's very complicated.


Mosaics and tiles: Many buildings and walls are intricately decorated with colorful, complex mosaic designs. This is just the washing area at Faisal Mosque. I only have a drawing in my journal to show the beautiful walls inside the mosque.


A gift for Dad: A wooden bowl that has been painted and carved.


A gift for Mom: Turquoise earrings, a paper mache bird egg, and a ceramic pitcher from the in-laws.




Carvings, and textiles, and jewelry, oh my! There are just so many beautiful textiles and handicrafts in Pakistan that it is hard to pack lightly!

Homeless Art Museum

I can't believe I forgot to share this! It was one of the most interesting experiences I had in New York and one of the best "exhibits" I have seen in awhile (and I did go to the MOMA while I was in NYC). I was touring the Skyline with a friend in NYC and when we came down from the elevated park we found this man sitting at a table, claiming to be the Museum Director of the Homeless Museum of Art (a homeless museum).

He claimed that the stuffed coyote next to him as the Director of Public Relations and was his listener and she was telling him things. He asked about my friend and I, and when he found out that we were social workers he asked if we were just analyzing him and if our radar was going off, saying "cuckoo!" I have to admit though, we did discuss after we walked away whether (1) he did have some kind of disorder; or (2) if he was doing some kind of social experiment; or (3) he was just an eccentric artist. He was clearly an artist and gave us free entrance tickets into the museum (as shown in the picture) and told us that the ticket was good everywhere we went that day and was good until midnight - we would be in the museum for the entire day. LOVE it! Needless to say, I looked him up when I got home and the artist (Filip Noterdaeme), and ideas are fascinating! Check it out: Homeless Museum of Art.

Free time?

My husband, Usman, will be leaving in one week to NYC for an off-broadway show....The Elborate Entrance of Chad Deity at Second Stage. He will be gone for 3 months and I've been thinking about what to do with the time that I am here by myself in Chicago, and then in NYC for a month while he is performing? The answer: promote my work more! ....which leads to another question: How?

I would really like to sell my jewelry and art at some galleries, shows, street fests, etc in Chicago and NYC. Do any of you have any tips on shows or ways to get my work out there without spending $400 for a booth?

I also want to read more books related to making, creating, and selling art. Here are a few on my list: Living Out Loud: Activities to Fuel a Creative Life, Craft, Inc.: Turn Your Creative Hobby Into a Business, and The Artist's Way. I also found this list of 4 Inspiring Books About Creativity on Marmalade Moon. I think I have my work cut out for me!

The Clothesline Project

When thinking of Conscious Art, The Clothesline Project is probably in my Top 5. This art project started in 1990 with women expressing their emotions regarding violence against women. The shirts are hung on a clothesline in public to give voice and raise consciousness regarding this problem. The shirts are different colors, depending on the type of violence. For example, a blue shirt on the clothesline would represent a woman who is a survivor of incest or sexual abuse, a yellow t-shirt represents a woman who has been assaulted or battered, and white represents a woman who has died because of violence, etc.  This project has grown to a national level and any community can begin a clothesline project and start raising awareness and fostering healing in their community. I like this project because of its message, availability to the public (space-wise, money-wise, and concept-wise), and opportunity to offer a voice and healing to those affected by injustice and violence.  It's simple and affordable, but powerful.

I really liked this idea so I adapted it for an art project with my 8th graders last year. They created shirts to show how violence has affected their lives. We had red to represent sexual violence, orange for gang violence, green for personal violence (self-mutilation, suicidal ideation, etc), yellow for cultural violence (violence in the media, video games, etc), grey for emotional violence (i.e. bullying, intimidation), and black for students who knew someone who had died due to violence. Many of my students were affected by several types of violence, but chose one area to reflect on and speak up about. The t-shirts were hung on hangers on a "clothesline" in the cafeteria, where their voice could be heard and consciousness raised. 

Before coming to Chicago for my Masters in Social Work, I considered a masters in Art Therapy. I love that I am able to combine my passion for social justice issues with art and healing. I think there is endless potential...and hopefully this blog will help me look into those possibilities even more!

Art for Sale!!!

My family and friends have been telling me for years that I should sell some of my art. My beaded necklaces and paintings are particularly popular. At the urgings of my husband, I began beading some necklaces a few weeks ago and he helped my set up this blog and an Etsy account (a site for selling handmade arts). I am not a computer/tech person AT ALL, so bear with me as I navigate the blog world! I posted a link to my Etsy page on the right hand side (hopefully you see it)!  Also, please excuse my poor camera and terrible photography skills...I'll work on this as well. : /

Conscious Beginnings...

 My mom says that I have always loved to create art since I was old enough to hold a crayon. Others ask me how I became interested in social justice issues, especially growing up in a small farming town with virtually no diversity. I really don't know, but I do remember art inspiring me to explore these issues. The first time I remember being conscious of different cultures and truly exploring the divide between people of different races, ethnicities, and nationalities was with an art project my freshman year in high school. I don't even remember what the project was supposed to be, but I painted people of all different backgrounds, huddled together, surrounded by goldish-brown protective arms. When I think back on this painting, I think that I was probably processing what little experience I had with different cultures. 

I was very aware of my Norwegian background...I went to Norwegian camp and learned the arts, crafts, songs, and dances, and we always had Norwegian desserts during Christmas. I also remember that two of my closest friends in elementary school were from different backgrounds and I was very hurt whenever someone made fun of my friends because of their clothes, food, hair, etc. I also remember that, besides these 2 friends, the other few students of color in school were all adopted by white families. I remember hearing racist jokes growing up and feeling very uncomfortable, but feeling that I should laugh. No one ever talked to us about these kind of issues, but I managed to process it somewhat on my own, through art. 

In college, when I was surrounded by an even greater diverse group of people (religiously, sexually, ability-wise, etc) much of my artwork my sophomore year of college also explored these issues. I think art is a great medium to use to bring awareness and educate people. Art draws people in and asks them questions about themselves and the world without needing an answer back.

Ultimately, I would love to be paid to create conscious art with youth, in order to promote change in their communities. I will be using this blog to explore the different ways that art can be use to foster dialogue, raise awareness, and ignite change.