South Asian Media Net

Introduction

Introduction

The art traditions of Asia are an essential part of world culture. They are living traditions that reflect a complex history played out over a huge continent. Never entirely isolated, some of these traditions display close ties with the art of the Mediterranean world to the west while others can be linked formally and conceptually with the art of the Pacific Islands to the south-east. In all cases, however, the art forms of Asia are firmly rooted in local and regional histories, and cross-fertilisation within Asia has always been of greater importance than influence from outside. The art of Asia reflects cultural practices as varied as they are sophisticated. Some, for example, used the human form as the primary vehicle of visual communication while others were largely iconoclastic in their philosophy and developed the most sophisticated calligraphy the world has known. In twentieth century Asia, new modes of visual communication and new critical frameworks have entered into a vigorous dialogue with the art historical past.
No single artistic style or culture unites the whole of Asia. There was never a dominant centre or 'classical' moment to serve as an inspiration for all subsequent developments. No single Asian culture plays the same role for Asian art that Greek culture does for Western art. Rather than a single history for Asian art, there is a wonderfully complex matrix of art traditions - some developed in comparitive isolation, but others crossed cultural boundaries to take on a truly international character.
Dramatic political and historical changes in Asia since the middle of the nineteenth century have resulted in radically new ways both of producing art and consuming art in Asia.
Pakistan is the land for art and culture lovers , and its appeal is universal. Popular with young in body and heart, it offers a world of beauty, culture, archaeology and history.
It is also a land of light, spiritual endowment, a resting place of innumerable Sufis-mystics of Islam who spent their lives in serving humanity out of love for God. There are also many Hindu Tiraths in Pakistan dating as far as 3,000 B.C. Buddist religion and culture flourished in areas comprising Pakistan.
The Indus Valley Civilization flourished here, 5000 years ago. The ruins of Moenjodaro in Sindh and of Harappa in the Punjab, tell the tale of a highly artistical and cultured people. They lived an organized civic life, in cities that had layouts, streets, and drainage system better than many a modern urban city and they were pretty advance in agriculture.
Pakistan is a great reservoir of the heritage of the Gandhara civilization and the Mughal. Texila with its layers of various Gandara Kingdoms is unsurpassed as a treasure house of the Greco-Buddhist sculpture and artifact. Mughal monuments are strewn all over the country. Lahore was as much ital of the great Moghuls as was Delhi.
The Northern Areas of Pakistan are unsurpassed in natural beauty. It is the confluence of the world's three mighty mountain ranges - the Himalayas, the Karakorums, and Hindukush. Some of the world's highest peaks are found here including the second highest K-2 (Mount Godwin Austin). These attract mountaineers like magnets. In between these peaks, there are heavenly valleys, largest glaciers, outside the polar areas and bubbling springs and azure blue lakes and rivers. as well this area is filled with cultural activities

Art

Pakistan has every reason to be proud of the thousands of years old and rich tradition of its arts and crafts. In the post-independence period, the successive governments have been providing substantial state help and initiative for the uplift of arts and crafts in the country. A wider recognition of the accomplishments of crafts-people has been facilitated by the activities of the National Crafts Council and promotional plans of organizations such as the Export Promotion Bureau and Small Industries Corporations. Pakistani craftsmen are well reputed in producing quality products in clay, stone, fabrics, carpets, wood, metal, jewelry and leather.

Culture

Pakistan has been the cradle of a civilization that dates back more than five millennium. Over the centuries, through successive waves of migrations from the north-west, as well as by internal migrations across the subcontinent, Aryans, Persians, Greeks, Arabs, and Mughals came and settled in this region. However, it was Islam and Islamic traditions that finally took roots and formed the mainspring of Pakistan's cultural heritage.