Flooding in Karachi washes away entire of Wasi Haider’s artwork
Pak Chronicle Report
Karachi
Recent monsoon rains in Karachi caused flooding in different parts of the city and brought life to standstill position.
Citizens suffered heavy losses to their business and there were some persons who got deprived from their lifetime’s work.
The 62 years old renowned artist Wasi Haider is one of them who has lost almost all his artwork which he had created in 50 years.
He had kept his painting in his workplace situated on Khayaban-e-Bukhari in DHA’s Phase VI.
The paintings which were earlier depicting different forms of life by Haider’s use of colours are now sustained with mud.
According to some media reports, on August 27 Haider was at his residence, located at Sea View, Clifton, when he sensed unusual rise in rainwater and decided to go to his studio before his usual time and check the situation there. When Haider along with his son arrived at his studio which is in the basement of a building, the water was already going in from the vent and water level had already risen over a feet. Haider says he thought of going out to get some labourers to move his stuff out but it was already too late for that.
Thunderstorm continued to batter the city and water kept entering the studio. Haider and his son soon realised that the water level inside the studio was rising rapidly and staying there would tantamount to risking their lives, so they hurriedly picked some paintings, which were partially destroyed, and left the studio.
Later the rainwater entirely engulfed the studio up to the ceiling and the artist mourned the loss of his artwork while sitting on the doorstep of his studio.
He witnessed his creations being washed away by floods of monsoon rains in front of his eyes.
There were around 6,000 paintings and drawings in the studio. This flooding also destroyed the furniture, colours and other stuff in the studio and hundreds of rare books.
According to some media reports Wasi Haider’s paintings have been put on display at Parliament House, Islamabad Secretariat, University of Karachi, Academy of Letters, Prime Minister Imran Khan’s residence in Bani Gala and many other places. Since 1989, his work has been displayed in many cities across the world.
According to Wasi Haider, the paintings that were destroyed also include the collection of paintings that he had received from famous painters like Jameel Naqsh, Tasaduq Sohail, Mansoor A and Mansoor Rahi, these report further maintained.
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