ZanBeel art Presents Third Annual South Asian American Art Festival
By Farhana Sahibzada
and Iris Shah
Zanbeelart is proud to announce its third annual South Asian American Art Festival Roots……..Regions and Reasons, starting May 1st thru May 8th 2010 at the
Arena 1 Gallery , Santa Monica Art Studios,
The festival will include a fine art exhibit, art workshops, book launchings, poetry readings by South Asian/American writers, poets and a comedy show by a famous Pakistani comedienne Beo Zafar.
The fine arts part of the event will showcase over a hundred art works by artists from Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Malaysia. The work of these artists is inspired by the title of the exhibit, “ROOTS……..REGIONS AND REASONS”.
The selected artists have been engaged in a thoughtful process of combining logic and emotion, creativity and technique, conscience and awareness, crystallizing personal and global events and journeys into their very own medium of choice.
Participating artists: Sonia Chaudhary, Pritika Chowdhry, Hayat Gul, Ramesh Gorjala, Reem Hammad, Abid Hasan, Asad Hussain, Tehniyet Hussain, Wahab Jaffer, C.F. John, Masuma Halai Khwaja, Haresh Lalvani, Lubna Lipton, Bina Malkani, Zahra Malkani, Amitis Motevalli, Suresh Muthukulam, Murali Nagapuza, Antonio Puri, Ali Rahamad, Tara Rashid, Amin Rehman, Satyakam Saha, Shakil Saigol, Halide Salam, Natasha Shoro, Azis T.M., Huda Totonji, Farooq Yousufzai. Co-curated by: Fatima Sultan and Amina Begum Ahmed.
Raeesa Tar co-curates GEN-X artwork, a selection of 12 artworks of South Asian Teens
The book launching will include works of well-known Pakistani author Daniyal Mueenuddin and his book, ‘Other Rooms Other Places’. Daniyal’s works have been featured in The New Yorker magazine. Some of the other works featured will include “Dust of Children” by Ali Eteraz, “Kolachi Dreams” by Nadia A.R. and “Alive and Well in Pakistan” by Ethan Casey. Ethan Casey is an American writer who has lived and traveled frequently to Pakistan since 1995.
The multi-dimensional program will include poetry readings by author/poet Beo Zafar and Mehnaz Turner.
Beo Zafar will be launching her book “Dreamer Awakes” a compilation of poems and artwork by Tabinda Chinoy. In addition to writing poetry, the talented Beo Zafar does stand up comedy, and the program also includes comedy routines by Beo Zafar.
Mehnaz is an emerging young poet and author, her poetry has appeared in publications such as Desilit Magazine, SAMAR (South Asian Magazine for Action and Reflection), and An Anthology of California Poets. Mehnaz blogs regularly at: http://www.mehnazturner.blogspot.com
Another giant step Zanbeelart has taken is to involve disadvantaged children from the humble parts of the East and West to participate in the Festival.
Comedy show by Beo Zafar will benefit TCF, The Citizens Foundation, which suppots about 650 schools serving 95,000 students across Pakistan. www.tcfusa.org
The art sale will benefit art programs in Los Angeles low socio-economic schools, where the art programs have been eliminated due to budget cuts. Children will learn art and history indigenous to the South Asian regions taught by South Asian artists residing in Los Angeles and vicinity.
South Asian Art teachers will be teaching artwork shops Friday April 30 to Compton and Gardena school children being bussed to Santa Monica Art Studios, Arena 1 Gallery.
May 1, 2010 : 1-7pm
Interactive Gallery Tours: 20 min tours of exhibit with artists.
Free Art workshops: Exploring Islamic Patterns and endangered species in Sindh and Rajasthan desert for adults and children.
Author Presentation and Book Signing 1 PM – 7PM
Poetry Readings: Beo Zafar at 1:30pm, Mehnaz Turner at 2:30pm.
Reception: 4-7pm
Comedy Show: by Beo Zafar May 1, 7 - 8 pm, May 2, 4-5 pm. www.zanbeelart.com
"Comedy show tickets $45.00 online purchase or call
310-459-5826, 310-308-8786.
SAAAF Program and workshops information visit: www.zanbeelart.com
Other Books:
Home Boy by H.M.Naqvi
Rock and roll Jihad by Salman Ahmad
Mommy am I..? by Anila Ali, Karen Gottlieb
Illustrator: Marian Seiders
Art books by Foundation of Museum of Modern Art, Pakistan
Art books by Marg Publications, India
Art Books by Sadequain Foundation San Diego, California
Arena I Gallery,
SANTA MONICA ART STUDIOS
3026 AIRPORT AVENUE
SANTA MONICA, CA. 90405, 310-397-7449
Gallery Open: Wed-Sat 12-6PM or by appt. only
www.santamonicaartstudios.com
Fatima Sultan
Director
FFEM/Zanbeelart
310-459-5826
www.zanbeelart.com
fatima@zanbeelart.com
