Pakistani artist Sara Shakeel highlights beauty & light through crystal

LONDON: Visual Pakistani artist Sara Shakeel has said that her latest crystal installation for London exhibition is inspired by the memories of childhood which were filled with family get-togethers which are becoming non-existent these days.Speaking to this correspondent at the exhibition of her work at the Now Gallery in Stratford, East London, Sara Shakeel said while creating the spectacular crystal exhibition featuring a dining table (with table, chairs, utensils, plates and napkin) she wanted to show the intimacy of family meals which once defined close-knit family structures and love. A large number of arts enthusiast turned out for the opening of exhibition which will continue till 23rd of June. Sara Shakeel was in London especially from Islamabad for the opening of exhibition. She said: “It’s a tribute towards food, family get-togethers and how once upon a time sitting together on a dining table was such a beautiful event in our lives. I personally used to look forward to them. Unfortunately with time all of this has faded, everyone has their own lives to live, priorities are given to other things which led me to create an art installation for the love of family dinner tables and conversations.”Sara Shakeel said she has felt wonderful to be in London for exhibition of her work. “The feedback has been wonderful. I got great reviews by major leading news agencies in London and all around the world and also the Transport of London advertised my exhibition details on their Instagram platform.” Sara Shakeel trained as a dentist but the fate had something else in store for her. No one in her family is an artist and in fact most of her relatives are engineers, doctors, pilots and teachers. She was told from a very young age that she had no chance of getting into an art school pursuing that line of work.She believes that she was deliberately failed in the last dentistry paper because she had issues with senior management figures in her dentistry college. “I was failed in my final year of the dental school in last paper in last exam repeatedly for almost two years. That’s when I left it and didn’t know what to do next and with no prior experience in arts and what I do today I started creating collages on my phone, and posted them on Instagram.”For her, it was a process and her passion grew to new heights when she started getting recognition. “With every artwork I felt relieved, happy and altogether it kept me in a happy place. I remember when I used to create digital work on my phone and post it online. I would get lots of criticism and trolling but then I educated myself with zeal. I devoted myself to learning arts.” In the last few years, Sara Shakeel has worked with many companies like Huda Beauty, Mima Manhattan View, Axwell & Ingrosso, Universal Music Poland & USA, Swarovski, Sony Music Germany, 20th century fox Barneys New York and many more. Sara said she is all about conveying emotions and there's no better way to communicate these via the use of shiny, bright and alluring crystals.

from The News International - Arts http://bit.ly/2YGhgwV