Art Behind Bars — Over 60 canvases by inmates of Central Prison Karachi

KARACHI: On display at the main art gallery of the Alliance Francaise de Karachi is the latest in the series of eleven exhibitions held based on selected works created by the inmates currently being trained by the fine art school at the city’s central prison.

Established in 2007 with an aim to lower levels of re-offending through creative arts, the school behind bars has managed to motivate over a thousand inmates to learn various skills from basic to advanced in order to express themselves artistically. Fourth in collaboration with the Alliance, this showcase features the works of eighteen inmates chosen out of the sixty who are currently taking classes at the central prison’s fine art school.

Set up by Nusrat Mangan, Sindh Inspector General Prison, to encourage change by providing the inmates an opportunity to reform and rehabilitate, the small scale initiative starting as fine art program just at the central jail has seen a successful expansion to other prisons of the city including Landhi Jail, women’s as well as Juvenile prison over the years.

Nusrat, who firmly believes in bringing the artworks of the incarcerated artists into the public realm in order to humanise prisoners and break stereotypes, says the current exhibit showcasing the talents of five senior and nearly a dozen new students also includes some of the best work by death row and life sentence inmates. According to Mangan, the exhibition shows; if given the opportunity to improve and lead a more productive and positive life, inmates like most of us are also capable of change.

An integral part of this correctional fine art project for the inmates of Karachi’s Central Prison since its inception in 2007, art teacher Sikandar Jogi sharing his thoughts about the latest showcase says at times giving a glimpse of life on the inside, the artworks on display reflect a range of varied subjects and concepts.

Motivating his students to learn in order to provide them with an opportunity and avenue of expression, according to Jogi, 1500 is the number of inmates that he has taught to draw and paint since the project started.

Inaugurated by the Consul General of France Monsieur Francois Dall’Orso, the exhibition is given the title of “Bastille to Karachi Jail” and will continue till July 14th, 2017 at the Alliance Francaise de Karachi.