Anthropology exhibition highlights humanitarian efforts of artists, sports celebrities in 2022 flood disasters in Pakistan

Syed Wahaj Ahmed

A one-day anthropological art exhibition titled “Artists in Times of Humanitarian Crisis” was curated at the Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Sindh (SU), Jamshoro here on Wednesday.

Students of third-year anthropology showcased their talents through poster artwork, drawing inspiration from online archival stories about the 2022 flood disaster and humanitarian crisis in the country.

The exhibition’s concept originated from the teaching course titled “Anthropology of Art and Music” led by a Lecturer of the Department of Anthropology Dr Rafique Wassan. This initiative highlighted the practice-based learning pedagogy in the relevant field.

The exhibition featured poster art created by anthropology students, visually portraying texts and images depicting the national and international artists’ public roles during the 2022 flood disasters. These roles included raising awareness, organizing concerts, campaigns, fund collection and contributing to relief work in Pakistan.

The exhibition underscored the public humanitarian efforts of various artists including actors, actresses, film stars, singers, fiction writers, comedians, cosmetic and fashion design artists, sports celebrities and art dealers. The participants included collectives such as the South Asian Visual Artists Network based in New York.

The exhibition garnered significant attention with a large number of students and faculty members from the university appreciating the anthropologist curators.

The lead curator Dr Rafique Wassan on the occasion introduced the exhibition’s concept emphasizing its main objective, which included utilizing creative art methods and media such as online visual archives and poster art and generating knowledge about the socially engaged role of artists in times of crisis.

During the opening session, Chairman of the Department of Anthropology and Archaeology Dr M Hanif Laghari expressed his admiration for the curators’ efforts, stating that such activities were essential for the academic excellence of the university.