If I were to identify a single factor that turned into a catalyst for the Takhti Project, it would have to be the outrage felt at the senseless shooting of Zahoorul Akhlaq and his daughter Jehanara, two years ago. Both Zahoor the friend and Zahoor the artist are mourned all over the country and abroad. In an attempt to come to terms with the irreplaceable loss, Sheherezade Alam, on the first death anniversary of her husband and daughter, launched efforts to conserve and document Zahoor's work. In this process, the Zahoorul Akhlaq Collective Trust was formed.

During a visit to Karachi, she sought out members of the art community, urging them to join hands with the Trust. The Takhti Project evolved from several such meetings with Sheherezade, in which a project was envisaged that would address issues of concern within the art community. It was felt that, in the absence of national shows, top priority should be given to an exhibition that would showcase their work collectively, bringing together Pakistani artists from all over the country. A catalogue on the occasion would provide much needed documentation of their work and if possible, its scope would be widened through an outreach educational programme for school children and a seminar on the Art of Pakistan.

After much deliberation, the takhti format was selected for the paintings for the exhibition. Our main impetus was its link with Zahoor's oeuvre. The artist seemed to have enjoyed using the size and material of the wooden tablet. The takhti's traditional place in Pakistan's cultural history was also too strong to be ignored. For many citizens it forms the first bond with the genteel art of kushkhatti.

Once the Takhti Paintings began to come in, we realised that the individualised way in which each artist assimilated it in their work has contributed to a diversity within the collection and enriched it.

Niilofur Farrukh
Curatorial Coordinator, Takhti Project
2001 Karachi, Pakistan