Artists come together to honour Gazan lives
The eight-day "Art for Life – Art for Gaza" Artist's Camp, which commenced on April 30, 2025, at the SilkRoad Culture Centre, concluded on May 7 with a moving and artistic display of multidisciplinary power performances featuring heartfelt tributes to the people of Gaza and a grand finale charity art auction attended by local and international dignitaries.
The closing evening was attended by ambassadors from Palestine, Iraq, Iran, Morocco, Sudan, Jordan, Lebanon, Yemen, Qatar, and Romania, as well as cultural attachés from Iran and China. Representatives from French cultural organisations and cinema were also present. The guests viewed and purchased artworks displayed across the SilkRoad Culture Centre, with several artworks reserved in advance by art collectors and enthusiasts.
Highlights of the concluding sessions included Live shadow painting on illuminated canvases by renowned painters, including veteran artist Jamal Shah, who participated spontaneously. These performances accompanied live music and dance, resulting in a unique fusion of visual and performing arts. Individual artworks created during the camp by participating painters, calligraphers, origami artists and sculptors were displayed and auctioned, with proceeds pledged to the Embassy of Palestine in Pakistan for the benefit of victims in Gaza.
Before this, a special session hosted by social reformer and author Meera'n Malik and Zeeshan Usman Khattak, an emerging film maker and an established RJ, showcased Pak-Palestine musical fusions, live skits, and performances by both emerging and established artists. Participants included schoolchildren from City School, students from NUML Music Society and musicians such as Arieb Azhar and the band 360 Degrees. Notable performances included an elegiac dance by Atif Khan and Group, and a powerful Sufi-rock and interlinear 'Tehtul Lafz' recitation by Maddy and Sam. The SRCC Drum Circle captivated the audience with a drum performance on a traditional Palestinian song.
The event concluded on a sombre note as news of cross-border aggression from India, beginning after midnight on May 6, cast a shadow over the evening. Despite the rising tension, the artists and attendees remained unified in their call for peace and justice in Pakistan, Palestine and the region.
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