‘I loved antiques and I felt like I lived in that ancient time. What is the soil telling you, and why are you in the soil and why are you so connected to the soil? Soil has a decisive influence on your daily life.’
Shahrzad Alam is no longer with us. Internationally renowned Pakistani potter and artist Shahrzad Alam said in an interview to Samina Pirzada: ‘When a clay pot is ready and goes into the kiln, you are burning yourself with it. Do not break or burn. To work with clay you have to be clay, you have to surrender to it, you don’t resist and you have to be one with it.’
He believed that ‘soil is an element that responds to you. It’s all so magical. And it kind of becomes a dialogue between you and the soil. And at the age of thirty I told myself that I am a potter and this is what I will do.’
Shahrzad Alam was born in 1948 in Lahore. His father Mahmood Alam, a famous tennis player, hailed from Delhi, while his mother, a teacher, hailed from Lucknow.
After the partition of India, his family came to Lahore. Shahrzad matriculated from Sacred Heart School in Lahore and then studied at Kinnaird College for two years. In the same interview given to Samina Pirzada, Shehrzad said that her mother had come to know that she was interested in arts, so she enrolled her in the National College of Arts.
After studying there for two years, she thought she would go into textile designing because she loved handmade things.
She said that when she went to her classroom, there was a pottery section right in front of her where there were 30 pottery wheels (chalk) but there was only one student.
Just at that time she thought that it must be a challenging job and went into this field to adopt pottery making.
He said it became more of a challenge when the head of the department discouraged him and told him to leave pottery and go back to the textile sector.
Shahrzad was not only fond of pottery, but was also fond of music, dance and literature. Her husband Zahoor-ul-Akhlaq was a well-known painter whom she first met in London. In an interview given to Samina Pirzada, Shehrzad had told that she was still in NCA when she married Zahoor. The marriage did not include the consent of their parents, so they got married in 1971 at a friend’s house in Karachi, and the wedding guests wore blue jeans and white shirts.
He also told that after marriage she came to Lahore to her parents but they did not accept her, but then after three months everything was fine and they accepted both of them. Shehrzad said that after that she started staying in her parents’ house. Two daughters Noor Jahan and Jahan Ara were born.
She said that she was very fond of traveling and had traveled to many countries with her husband and children.
Shahrzad Alam’s husband Zahoor-ul-Akhlaq and her daughter Jahan Ara were shot dead at their home in 1999.
Shahrzad also converted his mother’s house at Upper Mall in Lahore into an institution which he named ‘Jahan-e-Jahan Ara’ after his late daughter. Abuzar Madhav, a performing artist teacher who teaches at the summer camp, told Independent Urdu that years ago, when this institution was established, children were only taught pottery and Shahrzad Alam’s aim behind it was to teach the children about the earth and To be connected with the soil here.
Shahrzad Alam addressing an ASNA workshop in 2012 (Photo: Facebook Shahrzad Alam)
“But a few years ago, theater, dance, music and performing arts were also added here.”
Talking about the murder of Shahrzad’s husband and daughter, senior painter Dr. Ijaz Anwar told Independent Urdu: ‘After Zahoor’s departure, Shahrzad spent a long time in isolation, but then Salah, the head of the pottery department of NCA. When Uddin left his charge, Shehrzad came to NCA for a year and six months, took over the department, but it was not a fixed job.’
Dr. Ejaz Anwar further said that there were only three potters in Pakistan, including Shahrzad. He said that ‘I used to tell her sometimes that I thought they might roll down because their level was a little low, so she would say, ‘Whoever values it,’ Will not let them roll.’
According to Ejaz Anwar, two years ago, there was a workshop at PNC Islamabad where Shahrzad demonstrated pottery making. .
This section contains related reference points (Related Nodes field).
NCA principal Murtaza Jafari while talking about Shehrzad said: ‘Shehrzad was a great name in the world of ceramics. She studied here and taught here, but she never taught here as a permanent faculty. His personality was very cheerful and charming. Their dress was also very traditional. She was a loving person.’
Murtaza Jafari says ‘Sheherzad was a great name not of Pakistan but of the entire South Asia. She has also participated in many workshops held at NCA and has been a juror of NC. He said that he had also installed a huge set-up of making dishes at his house.
Shahrzad Alam told Samia Pirzada in the interview that she was suffering from kidney disease for some time and she said that she did not resist this disease because she learned it from the soil. .
!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)
{if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?
n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};
if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version=’2.0′;
n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;
t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];
s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,document,’script’,
‘https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js’);
fbq(‘init’, ‘2494823637234887’);
fbq(‘track’, ‘PageView’);
#surrender #soil
**Interview with Abuzar Madhav, Performer and Teacher at ‘Jahan-e-Jahan Ara’**
**Interviewer:** Thank you for joining us today, Abuzar. You were a close associate of the late Shahrzad Alam. Can you share with us how she felt about the connection between pottery and soil?
**Abuzar Madhav:** Thank you for having me. Shahrzad had a profound connection to the soil, which she often described as a dialogue between the artist and nature. For her, working with clay wasn’t just about creating art; it was a spiritual journey. She believed that when you work with clay, you become one with it, embodying the very essence of the material.
**Interviewer:** That sounds magical. How did she express this connection in her teachings at ‘Jahan-e-Jahan Ara’?
**Abuzar Madhav:** At ’Jahan-e-Jahan Ara’, Shahrzad aimed to cultivate a love for the earth through pottery. She taught children to appreciate the soil, to understand its importance in our lives, and to develop a sense of responsibility towards nature. Initially, the focus was solely on pottery, but over time she expanded the curriculum to include theater, dance, and music, enriching the creative experience for the students.
**Interviewer:** Shahrzad faced significant challenges in her journey, particularly early on in her career. How did those challenges shape her as an artist and educator?
**Abuzar Madhav:** Shahrzad’s resilience was remarkable. When the head of her pottery department discouraged her from pursuing this path, instead of giving up, she embraced the challenge. Her defiance and passion to prove herself transformed her into a mentor who encouraged her students to pursue their passions without fear of failure. She often said that true artistic expression requires surrender and connection to your craft.
**Interviewer:** Shahrzad experienced personal tragedy with the loss of her husband and daughter. How did she cope with that loss in her life and work?
**Abuzar Madhav:** It was a difficult time for her. After the loss, she went through a period of isolation. However, she eventually returned to the National College of Arts, taking over the pottery department. This reintegration into the artistic community allowed her to channel her grief into her work, becoming even more dedicated to nurturing young artists. Her institution, ‘Jahan-e-Jahan Ara,’ became a sanctuary not just for pottery but for the healing power of the arts.
**Interviewer:** What legacy do you believe she left behind, both in pottery and education?
**Abuzar Madhav:** Shahrzad’s legacy is profound. She inspired countless individuals to connect with the earth and express themselves through the arts. Her institution continues to thrive as a testament to her vision. Her teachings about the importance of soil, creativity, and resilience resonate with many aspiring potters and artists. It’s a legacy of love and passion that encourages us all to find our own voice in the world of art.
**Interviewer:** Thank you, Abuzar, for sharing your insights about Shahrzad Alam. Her contributions to pottery and education are truly inspiring.
**Abuzar Madhav:** Thank you for shining a light on her incredible journey.
