The Earth Painter Riffat Alvi

Transcription:
The first thing I do after getting up early in the morning, I offer my prayers.
Then I go to my studio to see the things i.e. the books I was reading last night
or some paintings which were left incomplete last night.
It gives a lot of peace when I go to my studio.
How did you start your career?
I’ve had a connection with India, since my father was in the army so we came back to Pakistan.
After getting admission in the college, it was 1974, the exams were held in 1973 and results came in in 1974.
It was very difficult that time to decide what to do now, then my father just told me to carry on and search for a job. He pointed out that look for a job where you are already teaching.
Aapa(Rabia Zuberi) supported me and told me to join her as internee.
After that I got a job in PACC (Pak American Cultural Center),
Where I had to go to the Bonus road.
It was job for taking painting classes,
I worked there almost 4 or 5 years.
Then I applied in Small Industries and got a job,
and completed 4 years program there.
I used to travel to interior Sindh where I had to see the transfer vancive designs.
And I was the one who had to coordinate with the foreign designers
who used to come from the UN.
Your Medium?
My medium is earth pigments.
I select totally earth colors, and you will be surprised to know that
all these paints are made of the same.
I don’t use tubes or acrylic colors in my work
I have a search for earth colors and where ever I go any city or any country,
the earth is full of colors.
It feels great pleasure and satisfaction when I work with earth.
I use totally earth pigment and mix it with ordinary water
and don’t use any other material.
Some time I use knife and sometime I use my hand to paint.
I also sometimes use brushes but the feel you get from the dough
clay on your fingertips you can’t feel it brushes.
About Your Shows?
In 1976 I got the first show which was held at PACC gallery.
After that I joined Goethe Institute and participated in a group show.
One of the strongest show of mine was in 1975, it was the first one,
I took it to Zohra Aapa, and it was held at Choukandy Art Gallery.
It was very difficult to take exhibition every year,
so you have to take part with your local galleries and participate with local groups.
After two year I got to know that somebody is putting up an exhibition in Lahore,
I went there and participated in that exhibition.
I went to New York in 1975 to take part in Common Ground World project.
Any upcoming Show?
There is one of my upcoming solo shows, which will be held at Canvas Gallery
One show which I am going to take back to Germany,
and getting another show in Scotland.
Advice for youngsters?
After running the galleries for so many years, My advice is to especially youngsters that after passing out,
the things they have been missing are not taught in their colleges,
because it goes against the subject
But when they go for exhibitions, they normally do group shows in the colleges and able get solo after some times
I prefer when the youngsters come in group show of two or three people,
We need to tell them, what is their thought process before going to canvas,
and what is it all about, and how long can you continue it.
How many paintings you can make, if you can make two paintings or three paintings
If you are able to make three paintings then gallery will consider you
because other young artist will also be taking part in the exhibition.
If you want your solo exhibition, then it will take a year to work on the theme,
then it might be considered by the gallery.
It not necessary in my gallery, if they go in other galleries,
their work will be accepted there as well.
In that way an artist can explain herself, what was the subject she did in her final, what was theme in the paintings, she must know about it.
I am sure she should be able to tell that much because
there is art history subject also taught them in the art colleges up to their requirement
and I want to encourage girls to come in this field,
if she doesn’t start as curator in the beginning,
then should join as a curatorial assistant,
she will see what I am doing and she will be doing the same thing with me,
and even I will ask her to do the tasks which i have am doing.
Gallery job is the successful job for the any of the artist.