Under the Lines 2

Raza urRehman is Lahore based visual artist. He completed his BFA from the Punjab University College of Art and Design, Lahore in 2004. Raza then went on to pursue and complete his MFA from the Punjab University College of Art and Design, Lahore in 2015. Through his art practice Raza reinterprets the existing concepts of regions, religions, cultures, politics, histories and traditions of South Asia, by using diverse mediums like drawing, painting, sculpture, installation and photography. His artwork is housed within the permanent collection of the Ambiance Boutique Art Hotels. Raza is currently teaching as an Assistant Professor and Head of Department of Fine Arts in the Government College Women University Sialkot, Sialkot. Previously he had been teaching for one and half years at the Women University Swabi, Swabi as an Assistant Professor and Head of Department of Fine Arts, further back he spent Five and half years teaching as a Lecturer in Punjab University College of Art and Design, Lahore. Raza also maintains his own art studio in Sialkot where he invites senior artists and art students for art talks, seminars, workshops and concept development sessions.

He has participated in many national and international exhibitions, as well as he received Merit Award of Artist Association of the Punjab 2013. He was part of artist residency ‘Gain and Deliver’ programe 2019 UAE organized by Artist residency.coRaza has done one Solo Show banam-e-esq at unicorn art gallery, Karachi (2015), and many group shows including Four Person Show Real Spiel atTaseer Art Gallery, Lahore (2019), Four Person Show Leftovers of my Imagination at Main Frame Gallery, Karachi (2018), Group Show Resurgence A Collateral event of LB 01 at Ejaz Art Gallery, Lahore (2018), Group Show Love. Hope. Fear at Art Scene Galleries, Karachi (2017), Three-person Show Colour me with chaos at Paint Bucket Gallery, Lahore (2016), Two person Showin between layers at Taseer Art Gallery, Lahore (2015), Group Show Not another Miniature Exhibition at Unicorn Gallery, Karachi (2014), Group Show Way Back Home at Unicorn Gallery, Karachi (2013), Two person show New miniatures at Unicorn Gallery, Karachi (2013), Inter- universities Faculty Art  Exhibition 2013 Souch Rang at Multan College of Arts BahauddinZakariya University, Multan (2013), Faiz Art Prize Exhibition at GallrieSadequain, Karachi (2011), Four Person show Print ShowKhaas Gallery, Islamabad (2009).

Artist Statement

Raza began this body of work during my stay at Swabi(KPK). As he was teaching Fine Arts in Women University Swabi. At that time while researching about the city of Swabi and its culture, He discovered that Swabi and its adjacent area has thousand years of history .There are many archeological sites of ancient civilizations like Ajanta, Ghandhara, White Huns,Hund, Hindu and Muslim civilizations and other civilizations. He used to visit those sites regularly where He could see the ruins of those civilizations in layers under the ground. Every time those peeped artifacts which were mostly sculptures in excavated sites tunned me and pulled me back in the old times. Where he could feel the sumptuousness and grandeur of those sculptures. Raza always wanted to experience the passion of the creator of those sculptures. After returning to my studio I tried to recreate those sculptures in many own way by using the conventional and contemporary methods to feel the fondness of that man who created them, the final result of my art work was always in layers such as he witnessed the sculptures in excavated cites in layers.