Imran Channa

Imran Channa is a contemporary visual artist based in Lahore, Pakistan. He was born on 21 September, 1981 in Shikarpur, Sindh. He works in multiple media, including painting, drawing, sculpture, digital art and interactive art. He has been exhibiting nationally and internationally. He is currently a finalist for the Sovereign Asian Art Prize 2010 Hong Kong. He teaches at the National College of Arts, Lahore. He lives and works in Lahore.

Life

Imran Channa was born in Shikarpur, Sindh. After completing his initial education in Shikarpur in 1998, he moved to Hyderabad to explore art, where he met with artist, art teacher and writer Fatah Halepoto. He worked for 3 years in Hyderabad under the influence of his teacher . In 2001 he enrolled in the Department Of Fine Arts at National College of Arts, Lahore. Again he enrolled in the same institution in MA Hons Visual Arts Programme. He finished his MA Hons in Visual Arts in 2008.

Art career

Various critics and publications have spoken of the direction and impact of Channa's work. Asim Akhtar in Pause Play wrote, "There is a revolutionary lexicography behind Channa’s visual vocabulary that is deeply rooted in the syntax and morphology of that visual modernity, and without it one will never learn how to read his pictures. His art is the very vision of an alterity that sets the political tyranny of language off balance – and with that liberates those who have gathered around the festive occasion of his art." In Starring: The Artist', Quddus Mirza said, "The interplay of obvious and unusualness makes his work, interesting and intriguing." Reflecting on the focus of his work and its impact, Yee-Wan Koon in MUSE wrote, "Imran Channa's work is based on historical perspectives. He questions the authenticity of history, which is constructed and manipulated by the power." "Find The Real Jinnah", work exhibited nationally and internationally many time in Redo Pakistan](Lahore, Karachi, London) "Rising Tide", Mohatta Palace Karachi, "creating common wealth"Creating Common Wealth India, "between black and white" canvas gallery karachi." The art critic Maheen Bashir Adam Jee wrote in the article "messages for The Discerning" that: "Channa’s work, ‘Making of the History,’ defies the norm with its very title. The deliberate inclusion of “the” in the title challenges more than just grammar. Channa questions the veracity of the Badshahnama – a tale of kings, commissioned by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan – and the practice of getting one’s history written under one’s own auspices. The authenticity of Badshahnama’s account, on the making of the Taj Mahal, was first called into question by historian P.N. Oak, who asserted that the Taj Mahal was, in fact, an ancient Hindu temple of Lord Shiva, usurped for Queen Mumtaz Mahal."

Latest work

Badshahnama

This is his latest body of work in which was displayed in TMproject gallery Geneva, Switzerland,this is most influential work criticism on Badshahnama (Padshahnama in Persian) (Book of Kings) through art perspective on making of the history. This exhibition was the part of 50 JPEG off programme Quartier des Bains large art Events held in Geneva Switzerland and Channa's work got highly appreciated in Geneva. On This body of work Channa stated that " This body of work is based on historical visual investigation of the most celebrated book on Mughal miniature painting called BADSHAHNAMA (The book of Kings). Basically, the BADSHAHNAMA is known as the great book of Mughal miniature painting. It is written as the official history of Mughal kings in Shah Jahan's reign. The main purpose of this book is to preserve and document the official visual history of Mughal kings. It is a commissioned book of Mughal history in traditional art of miniature painting. This book, on traditional art, was designed as a historical propaganda of the Mughal times.

In this work I have dislocated and manipulated all the images of the book, creating the sense of construction, so as to question the making and authenticity of the history, by digitalizing this traditional miniature to question its conventional and traditional methods of making which is considered as unique and sacred piece of art.”

For the sake of art Channa travelled to Europe where he visited a lot of museums like Musée du Louvre Musée d'Orsay, Uffizi Polo Museale Galleria dell'Accademia, Museo Nazionale etrusco di Villa Giulia and so on, where encountered with the history of art .Nowadays he is working on the project called "Museums and Meanings". In 2010, Channa embarked on an international tour along with the group Redo Pakistan, with multiple shows across London.

Exhibitions

2010: The Rising Tide, Group Show, curated by Naiza khan at Mohatta Palace Karachi. 1

2010: Slick 2010. Art fair, Paris.

2010: Creating Common wealth, Group show Curated by Ragini Gallery, New Delhi India. 2

2010: "Fatah Je Asay Pasay" Group show (Green Cardamom) at V.M. Art Gallery Karachi, Sindh Museum Hyderabad 3

2010: "Badshahnama" Solo show at Tmproject Gallery Geneva, Switzerland. 4

2010: "Structures Within An Intervention" - A Group Show curated by Meenakshi Thirukode at The Guild Art Gallery, New York, USA.

2010: "Making of The History" Two-person show at Canvas Gallery Karachi. 5

2010: "The Havelian Express" 3 person show at CAIS Gallery Hong Kong. 6

2009: "Tradition & Tension" 4 person show at Art Scene Gallery Karachi 7

2009: "Patrons Of "Oh My God! I Can Buy Art!" Group show at Grey Noise gallery Lahore. 8

2009: Redo Pakistan. Deptford X festival London 9 10

2009: Redo Pakistan Group show in the form of symposium at Alhamra art council Lahore

2009: "Between Black & White" 4 person show at Canvas Gallery Karachi. 11

2009: "Redo Pakistan" a traveling show (Karachi, Lahore, Pakistan, England, UK, Dhaka, Bangladesh) arranged by Other Asias, a London based organization at Shanakhit Festival 2009 Karachi.

2009: "Starring: The Artist" Group show at Indus Valley Gallery Karachi

2008: Degree show at Zahoor-ul-Akhalq Gallery National College of Arts.

2008: Young artist exhibition at Alhmara Art Council Lahore.

2007: “Dropping Tears Together” an anokha laadla collective live art performance at Alhamra Art Council Lahore. 12

2006: “Places Real and Imagined" Group Exhibition at Alhamra Art Gallery, Lahore. 13

2005: “Art Aid” Group Exhibition at Convention Center Islamabad.

2005: “Voices” Group Exhibition by Pakistan Development Forum Islamabad.

2005: “Emerging Talent” Group Exhibition at V.M. Art Gallery Karachi.

2005: "Memories" Degree Show at National College of Arts Lahore.

2003: Group Exhibition of water colors at Art Scene Gallery, Lahore.

2002: Group Exhibition of Printmaking at Zahoor-ul-Akhlaq Gallery Lahore.

Further reading

• Asim Akhtar. PAUSE PLAY. Libas international Magazine, Volume 23 issue 22010. Lahore.
• Quddus Mirza. His pupil's voice, The News. Jul2010. http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/jul2010-weekly/nos-18-07-2010/enc.htm
• Ed, Anita Dawood, Fatah jay Aassay Paassay. In the Milieu of fatah Halepoto, published by Green Cardamom, London. ISBN 978-0-9561829-0-6 http://www.greencardamom.net/newsletter/Newsletter.html#FATAH
• Taimur Ahmed. Think Beauty and Heritage. Herald. August 2010.
• Salwat-ali, Brush with the Past. Newslinemagazine. 25 August 2010. Karachi http://www.newslinemagazine.com/2010/08/brush-with-the-past/
• Adamjee, Maheen Bashir. Messages for the Discerning, NEWSLINE, 31 May, 2010, Karachi. http://www.newslinemagazine.com/2010/05/messages-for-the-discerning/
• Ali, Salwat. Miniature on the March. Daily Dawn, April 25, 2010, Karachi. http://dawnnews.tv/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/in-paper-magazine/gallery/artmart-miniature-on-the-march-540
• Ahmad H, Ameer. Nostalgia, experimentalism and political games: ‘Making of History/Green Patrol’. Daily Times, April 15, 2010, Karachi. http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010%5C04%5C15%5Cstory_15-4-2010_pg12_5
• McInnis, Whitney Ferrare. The Havelian Express, ArtAsiaPacific Almanac 2010. Magazine
• Yee-Wan Koon, Blindness and Insight, MUSE , February, 2010, Hong Kong
• Agnew, Mary. The Havelian Express, TimeOut Hong Kong, 19 Jan 2010. http://www.timeout.com.hk/art/features/31422/the-havelian-express.html
• McInnis, Whitney Ferrare. The Havelian Express, Orientations (The magazine for art collectors and connoisseurs of Asian Art). Volume 41 - Number 1 - January/February 2010
• McInnis, Whitney Ferrare. The Havelian Express, Asian Art News January/February 2010
• Zuberi ,Nadeem . Art Fact: 'Tradition and Tension'. Business Recorder December 26 2009 Karachi. http://www.businessrecorder.com.pk/index.php?id=1000633&currPageNo=1&query=&search=&term=&supDate=
• Dar, Saira, Fresh Perspectives, Sunday 22 November, Dawn.com. http://dawnrelief.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/in-paper-magazine/gallery/fresh-perspectives
• 2009. Ahsan Hamja, Pakistani Pavilion: PROJECT BIENNALE. PROJECT BIENNALE is an anthology of critical writing and visual projects that reflect on current political issues surrounding international biennale exhibitions. This publication is supported by Chelsea College of Art & Design, University of the Arts London; Department of Art History & Theory, University of Essex; and, Sheffield Hallam University.
• 2009. Mirza, Quddus Starring: The Artist. IVS Publication Karachi.
• Aleem, Uzma. Art transforms into industry. The Nation, Sunday Plus. Lahore. January 4, 2009
• Naeem, Mian. Fusing Real with abstract. Weekly [...] Edge. Lahore 20 June 2007.
• Farrukh Niilofur. Art and Sensibility Daily News Karachi Mar 2005. http://www.newslinemagazine.com/2005/03/art-and-sensibility/
• http://www.vmartgallery.org/collaborative/collaborative_show.php
• http://beta.brecorder.com/single/72/0/1053858:art-facts-contemporary-miniature-concerns.html
• http://blog.fursid.com/blogged/redo-pakistan/
• http://www.geneveartcontemporain.ch/infos.php?id=19
• http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/yourgallery/artist_profile//107420.html
• http://whitneyferrare.com/upcoming-shows

• http://www.greencardamom.net/exhibitions/exhibitions_page.php?id=46
• http://www.timeout.com.hk/art/features/31422/the-havelian-express.html
• http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010%5C07%5C07%5Cstory_7-7-2010_pg12_8
• http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100910/REVIEW/709099992/1008/ART
• http://www.nca.edu.pk/multimedia.htm
• http://www.artslant.com/cn/artists/show/133742-imran-channa
• http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/jul2010-weekly/nos-18-07-2010/enc.htm
• http://www.businessrecorder.com.pk/index.php?currDate=2010-09-02&currMIndex=19&currSIndex=&supDate=2010-07-17&currPageNo=1
• http://www.caisgallery.com/v2/artist/artist.php?id=9435&mode=biography
• http://www.50jpg.ch/index.php?/ongoing/off/