Daily Times

A few days back, I saw an impressive and inspirational documentary about world renowned Pakistani artist, social crusader and peace activist Jimmy Engineer highlighting his major artistic achievement series of Pakistan Movement panting and “Javid Namah” mural which was attracting large viewing on social media.

It was the creative art work of Asmaa Zia. I contacted her and asked her about inclination towards art education, creative works so far and life mission. She talked at length in response to my these and other questions. Here is what she said at length, “I was only three when I started sketching and painting. A silent kid was always sitting under the table or bed or in a corner deeply lost in her drawings. I was extremely curious about the lines that define faces, the human body and anatomy since child hood. I wanted to draw them on my paper and listen to the stories behind those faces. To me human is a specie of excellence on earth with the brain given to him and his/her soul is a master that guides him/her if he/she urges to go deep with it. The faces are reflection of the soul the eyes are doors. I am with love with the creation of Allah… the faces he has created and we remember them with names. I had great interest in nature. I used to grow plants by sowing seeds in my house pots. Any utensil I found interesting in kitchen I used to fill it with mud and searched for grains or vegetable seeds… sometimes I used to make them dry and took their seeds to grow my own vegetables. I also used to play with snails, ladybirds, grasshoppers and baby frogs hopping in my courtyard. I used to catch them and save them in glass bottles. Now I realize I wanted to catch the nature in my hands.

One thing I was extremely looking for was light. I feel I was born with it and that light inside always searched for light in the outer world. I used to follow it everywhere. The enlightened soul was wandering as Romanticist. Colours, light, shadows lines were my inspirations.

I still have my childhood paintings with me. I always drew and paint in realistic techniques. I studied art and went to Punjab University Department of Art and Design. I opted for Graphic Design because I wanted to learn Commercial Art. There was a cinematographer in me who always wanted to fill the frame with beauty for the viewers. I worked with a couple of Architects and Furniture companies to polish my instinct to beautifying environment. I wanted to spread romance and beauty through my aesthetics where ever I went. Then I joined Geo as a production designer and applied my instinctive design sense in television medium. I also learnt film and TV from Geo. That fulfilled my urge to learn expertise in film and TV medium. I was Creative Head in launching Channel 5.

I left the industry because I felt that I could do more if I work independently.

I started my own small company and started working as an Independent Art Director. I did Art Direction for many national/ international companies and media houses.

I illustrated 500 drawings for a song video “Pagalpan” by Ali Aftab Saeed. I worked as an Assistant in films ‘Ballu Mahi’ and ‘Teefa in Trouble.’ Also worked in a couple of commercials as an assistant director and assistant art director like Huawei Y5 and Dostea.

With art direction my painting and sketching never fades away. That childhood art gives me another kind of satisfaction. I did a couple of exhibitions on different venues about my painting series of “Incarnation”. I started sitting at Gloria Jeans Coffees Lahore as a commissioned Artist to sketch the love of my life “The Human Faces.” I had a backbone fracture and that affected my whole body. That phase taught me that every moment of life is a blessing. “If you are true to the nature and its creations it will bless you with miracles”. I started writing when I was on bed for nearly 1 year. I wrote a film and started shooting it with few pennies in my pocket even then I was not properly moving. That film about universal love made me run into the fields due to the burning passion to tell the universal truth to the world. I wanted to scream and tell the world.”

Band derwazay kholo

Pinjaron se bahir niklo

Aur shamil ho jao

Neelay asman mein urnay wali un qitaron mein

Dila do ahsas ke tum zinda ho”

I went to Karachi to sell my film. It was again a new struggle all media houses liked my work but unfortunately they did not want any change in their ongoing “Saasbahu”, “Extra marital” affairs of husbands and wives kinda stories. Greatly disappointed, I went through a phase where I saw a different world and I surely wanted to tell the stories of courage, universal love, nature, and real education to the world around me. Yes, I am a storyteller with a Romanticist Soul… and want to tell the evil spirits that only positivity wins in the end. During Corona I started writing poems, I animated few of them. I was dejected by our societal traits where everything has become materialistic. As the reading of human faces exist in my instinct I explored another medium to tell the stories behind those faces. I decided to bring out the stories of love, peace and justice in the society and show them to the world so that they start learning from them. I started making documentaries on different people that can inspire the world. I have made documentary on my mentor Jimmy Engineer because I feel that he is a living example of Humanity. His story tells us many lessons of humanity, love and peace. Through his life people can learn many aspects of humanity. I am making another documentary on Jimmy Engineer that will cover his spiritual journey.

I believe here is a time to reinvent ourselves, go back to the ethical history of humanity, dig out our lost morals and bring out better humans to feed our coming generations. The universe is aching with unnatural behaviours, catastrophes and deep wounds that are given to her with evil practices.

I am launching my website that is about the inspirational stories from Pakistan that are never told or buried because of being true so that world can learn from them.

I am also working on different development programmes for downtrodden in the society as well as movies/poems that are truly based on moral aspects. My art films will show a different world to the people that will surely create empathy.

I am introducing many programmes for the government of Pakistan to develop “Humane sense” for the living and coming generations. A programme for Human development. I believe if the Government of Pakistan will add those programmes in syllabus that can not only bring a positive change in our country but also the world will follow us for this programme Insha Allah.

I request Prime Minister Imran Khan to please look into my programme. Looking forward to bring a “Humane Difference” in this world as a tool of nature. That I am seeing in my dreams since my childhood, where I was always bathed into light distributing flowers to the people around me.

The writer can be reached at zahidriffat@gmail.com