TEDxLahore - Saima Zaidi - Reading visual culture in Pakistan

In this visually rich talk, Saima Zaidi constructs the visual identity of Pakistan through images explored in her book, Mazaar Bazaar. Celebrating diversity, Zaidi believes, these images connect our past and present.

About the speaker

Saima Zaidi is a lecturer on design and typography at the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture. She studied at the National College of Arts, Lahore and the Pratt Institute, New York and has recently authored 'Mazaar, Bazaar' -- an exhaustive review of Pakistan's visual culture. Her work brings Pakistani design to the global stage as she collaborates with an international community of design experts to depict the intricacies of Pakistani design. She attempts to give Pakistani art forms such as truck art and iconography the appreciation they deserve. Zaidi's work focuses on communication design and through this medium she manages to discuss several aspects of the Pakistani society such as nationalism, trade and cultural heritage.


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Category:

Education

Tags:

• TEDx
• Lahore

[jaanusgirl]

@akheR666 - I didn't mean to imply that there were a lot of Hindus in Pakistan (East or West) who were very few (compared to the minority ratio in India) to begin with. What I meant was that as far as the two Pakistans were concerned, the population in East Pakistan was the majority. It is possible there was a larger proportion of Hindus in East Pakistan as well, however, it didn't become so fundamental or a theocracy of sorts as West Pakistan did...yes, because of Zia.

[akheR666]

@jaanusgirl I didn't say that the majority was Hindu, bit it had a lot of Hindus, which counted in the decrease; I'm sure that we can say the same of East Punjab, whose Muslims went to Pakistan (West Punjab), as much as today's Pakistani Sikhs and Hindus abandoned the said West Punjab region.

And what I meant was that Pakistan was never, de facto, a secular state, but what Zia-ul-Haq did, was to Islamicize it even more (the controversial Hudud laws.)

But, yes, Jinnah wanted a secular state.

[jaanusgirl]

@akheR666 - Actually, at the time of partition, there were more Muslims in East Pakistan (55%) than West Pakistan (45%). That is also the reason why Sheikh Mujibur-Rehman won the majority vote in 1970, which caused West Pakistan to panic that they would lose power and Yayah Khan had him assassinated.

And Jinnah wanted a secular Pakistan and said so time and again. The reason to separate may have been religion, but the intention was always to be secular, on both sides.

[akheR666]

@jaanusgirl Minority decreased because of East Pakistan becoming Bangladesh (had a lot of Hindus) and Partition before, and Pakistan has never been a 'secular' state.

[devilninjas]

talking for Pakistan, where 11% ppl know english (tht too not fluently) ! bravo!

[aenematica]

good research!

[jaanusgirl]

I'm sorry, but I had to laugh at the last bit about Pakistan being a place of diversity, inclusion and unity. The minority population in Pakistan has steadily decreased over the years...it has not been a very welcoming or tolerant country since Zia changed the constitution and radicalized it from a secular nation.

[colraf]

A must talk for all Pakistani Brand Managers.