What many people fail to grasp — and art schools fail to elucidate — is that a person trained in fine arts has many transferable skills, beyond the obvious choices such as curating and teaching.

This is an important aspect of creative training. Not every fine arts graduate may have the discipline or desire to produce regular bodies of work to display within the white walls of galleries. But as long as one is expressing themselves through a creative medium, they are identifiable as an artist.

From community projects such as family outreach programs to working with special needs children, interactive public art, fashion, theatre, tv and film, content creation and more, each of these fields have various roles that artists can perform. And like all other jobs in the world, art requires dedication and perhaps a little extra labour and time.

Yasmeen Salman, is an art educator who did her BFA in 1997 from Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture (IVSAA) and is currently pursuing a PhD from Aga Khan University’s Institute for Educational Development (IED). She shares how art influences her practice in the field of pedagogy. “My problem-solving and understanding comes from art and literature,” she says. “The process is important for me, the research, and the deep introspection. I learned all of the above through art, and I try to facilitate my teaching and assessment in a similar way.”

Four women share their insights into how their training in fine arts enables them to follow the diverse career paths each has taken

Her thoughts are echoed by Hina Farooqui, a production designer for TV and films who graduated from the Fine Art Department of IVSAA in 2008. “It is the backbone of my work,” she says, sharing how training in miniature painting accentuates her vision and decision-making process.

“As a production designer, you are responsible for the entire look and feel of the film. So, for me, each frame becomes a narrative painting, which I create in a three- dimensional physical world. My training as a miniature painter and photographer is crucial to my work. It is that sensibility and aesthetic and the use of scale, proportions, composition, colour etc., which informs all I do.”

Zahida Abdul Latif, a 2016 graduate from Karachi University’s (KU) Visual Studies department, practises as an art therapist at the Sindh Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, working with special needs children. She has used her creative training to benefit others at a community level, giving back through social work.

“It has been a successful transition from fine arts to art therapy, because it’s related to the medical side, and there’s a very fine line between science and fine arts,” she shares. “Moreover, special needs kids aren’t verbally expressive, they understand more visually. So, the transition is very helpful, because I’m a visual artist working with those who need visual education in a rehab setting.”

Hadiqa Arshad is a young entrepreneur who graduated from the Visual Studies department at KU in 2017. She has found her niche in creating DIY Boxes — art kits that have all the basics you need to start your own art project, including material and an instruction manual — bringing the joy of art to everyone while removing the intimidation that a lot of people feel towards creativity.

“I’ve focused on not confining my work to art galleries only,” she says. “That is mostly accessible [only] for art enthusiasts and those who can afford to purchase. Instead, I wanted to instil a sense of art in people who love art but are unable to produce something on their own. My work makes it easier for all to connect to art, and it makes me satisfied to see lay people engaging themselves in the art itself.”

Each of these women belong to very diverse fields, yet they all credit their training in fine arts as setting the foundation for what they are doing today. “The most important thing fine arts education made me do, is think hard,” says Hadia. “Thinking from different perspectives and angles, thinking out of the box, doing the unusual etc. All of this led to the career I’ve chosen and helps me in executing my business plans effectively and efficiently.”

“It’s hardly a transition actually,” says Hina. “It is still like creating a painting, just the medium has changed.”

The one advice they would give to anyone pursuing the arts? Hard work, consistency and perseverance. But that’s not the only thing, according to Hadiqa.

“Be open to criticism,” she says. “Do not take a break from work after graduation, because I think breaks makes you stop thinking. If you keep practising art, you will keep developing ideas and new mediums to explore.”

Wise words, indeed.

Published in Dawn, EOS, August 29th, 2021