Imran Qureshi’s Masterclass
By Rohanie, Ikon Youth Programme member
As part of his critically acclaimed exhibition at Ikon Gallery, Pakistani artist Imran Qureshi held a two day masterclass, focusing on his miniature portraits, on 20 & 21 November. I attended as a member of Ikon Gallery’s Youth Programme (IYP) which allowed me to be both submerged in his work and to assist in the workshop.
From the moment of walking into the events room at Ikon – transformed into a DIY painting studio – everything was heavily alluding to the organic, natural world. We sat on the floor in a circle, which for me drew reference to a modern “Knights of the Roundtable” – in that I, an 18 year old art student and Imran Qureshi, an internationally esteemed artist were sat equally on the same floor at the same level. This ambience continued throughout the two days, and felt less like an artist led class, with no need for printed hand-outs and PowerPoints; instead it felt like an opportunity to be guided by a practising artist to create our own work.
An idea Imran frequently referred back to was the use of natural components, not only in his physical work, but also in the process of creating the work – an element he refers to fondly and shared with us. The first stage of the masterclass was making the glue, using organic and basic ingredients of plain flour and water – and created using a simple yet rigorous heating process – “This is important, you all need to see this and be part of this”. After slicing our cartridge paper, we were given a demonstration of the Wasli paper making process. This was done by huddling round Imran, and watching as he demonstrated – less like a lecture and more like an opportunity to understand. When asked the significance of the Wasli paper making process, Imran replied “For me, when I make my own Wasli paper I have started my painting”.
We used Stanley knives to slice away pencils to create our tools – replicating the incredibly finely tipped squirrel hair paintbrushes used in Pakistan; which meant that maximum detail and intricacy could be articulated from pencil to paper. This process was incredibly difficult, as too much pressure on the knife could easily cause the lead to snap (it took me three pencils to get mine right) – naturally Imran whipped his up in around ten seconds. Imran stressed the significance of having perfectly executed art utensils, “My teacher used to say ‘You cannot fight if you have a bad weapon – your paintbrush is your weapon and if it is not good you will lose the war’”. There was an omnipresent atmosphere of being drawn to Lahore, with Imran dotting the workshop with reflective anecdotes about his students back in Pakistan and his insistence on keeping the room as authentic as possible. We were directed on how to sit (on the floor, back resting against the wall) and how to hold our paper (resting on our thighs) – and we used oyster shells as paint palettes, another authentic feature of miniature painting (“I have paint in shells that I’ve had for 20 years, ever since I was a student”).
The significance of making your own glue could be seen through every stage of the two day masterclass – and the cyclical nature of the art of miniature painting seen through the concept of carrying out a piece of work from the initial creation of the glue to the final touch of silver leaf.
The experience of the workshop was incredibly mesmerising and serene – with no real rhythm or formula, instead the different stages flowed into each other; and then the two days were over.