The Second Floor

Thanks to the enthusiasm and graciousness of a group of young artists, we have art everywhere at T2F 2.0. This time round, all the artists volunteered to paint murals in various spots and we’re truly grateful to them for humanizing our space.

Zeerak Ahmed & Shoaib Rizvi

Zeerak and Shoaib spent the summer painting after finishing their A Levels from Karachi Grammar School in 2009. They got in touch with us looking for an opportunity to exhibit their work. We liked what they showed us and agreed to a show, and also asked them if they’d like to paint a mural on one of our walls.

“We got to work, completely overwhelmed by this opportunity, and at the end of three painstaking weeks we were finally done. The mural is mainly a comment on the world through our eyes. It is loosely based on the sufi idea that listening to music is a spiritual experience which can bring people closer to God, leaving behind the physical world fraught with catastrophe and urban squalor.

As we have both had training in classical eastern music, we feel very strongly about the power of this art form. The mural explores the concept of paradise, and our individual attempts to reach paradise while still living in the physical world. Being raised in an urban setting, we have become aware of the disappearance of vibrant colour from the cityscape that is now turning into various shades of gray. This mural was our little attempt to bring back color to the city and in doing so bring back color to our lives.
 
We thoroughly enjoyed the freedom we were given by the T2F team, who not only trusted us amateurs, but also enthusiastically welcomed our psychedelic palette and non-traditional style. Probably the best start that we could ask for as aspiring artists.”

Zeerak Ahmed is currently at Hiram College, USA, pursuing an undergraduate degree with an Art major and Music minor.

Shoaib Rizvi lives in Karachi and is going to be studying medicine in London in 2010.

Uzair Akram

Uzair Akram is a graphic artist living and working in Karachi. He spends his days working as a Creative Director at RGBlue Communications and the rest of his time drawing MyndMaps.

“The mural at the entrance of T2F is the first time I did a MyndMap for an organization as opposed to an individual. It took me 12 hours. Love & Peace”.

Ammad Tahir

Ammad is a graduate of Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture with a major in Painting and a minor in Print-making. Since 2008, he has been actively involved in art projects, residencies, group shows and mural painting.

“I was delighted when T2F offered me a wall in the new space. The balcony, which is also a smoker’s area, was the perfect place for me to use my imagination and draw something close to my realities and emotions. I had been thinking about these unusual creatures that originate from the sea. These carnal characters, stung by jelly fish, have entered a trance-like space and become people of pleasure. They are alive and are celebrating the darkest realities of life, but nothing in them is human”.

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