Yamna Dar is a contemporary artist based in Rawalpindi, Pakistan whose practice began with traditional painting and expanded into sculptural forms using archival paper, clay, paper, and light to create intimate, narrative-driven worlds. With curatorial experience at Khaas Contemporary, she now teaches at NCA Rawalpindi.
Notes on studio, material & Teaching
Hard work always pays off in ways that we can’t even imagine.
When you enter your workspace these days, what does it feel like to be there?
These days, my workspace feels like home to me. Maybe it’s because I have spent so much time working on my new artworks that now I feel excited to even enter my space and start something new.
If I could sleep in my studio, I would.
You’ve mentioned writing as an important part of your process; what role does it play when your practice is stretched across teaching, curating, and making?
I have a lot of ideas and thoughts that come to me in words/writing first, it’s more about writing down what I feel at that moment, so capturing it through words is easier. Then slowly working on visuals alongside my notes really puts things in perspective for me.
It’s something that comes to me very naturally. Even if I am teaching or working on something of my own, I always make notes and write down things that I feel are very vital for me.
How has teaching shaped the way you think about your own practice over time?
It really encourages me to work more, especially when you are surrounded by students who are learning about arts and constantly working. It makes you want to feel inspired and work even more. It is a great boost as an artist to be in an environment where people are creating new works and coming up with unique ideas.
Has that shift changed the way you relate to your materials in the studio?
I personally believe that even having miniature as my major, it did not stop me from exploring other materials. I always say that I am a visual artist. Whatever feels right to me, I always tend to go for materials that speak to me. It does change over time.
Sometimes I grew out of a few materials, and sometimes I have found the ones that are easier to work with.
Have you noticed certain feelings emerging more easily through specific materials? What draws you toward those choices?
There are some pieces that require different treatment. Each material that I have ever worked with always gets me in a different mood. I am quite comfortable with some, while there are some I used once and never looked back at. I think it’s something we realise after a lot of trials and errors. The ones I feel comfortable with always happen to express my views better than anything else.
Can you describe how a piece has grown out of something you wrote?
My creative process usually starts with spaces, both indoors and outdoors. Because I focus on the places where we spend our time. I begin by writing about a specific room, like a living room. I start by writing down everything in the room – the furniture, the decor and even the doors. I look at how these objects are placed. I think about how those objects give the room its feeling or presence. By writing these details down first, I can better understand the character of a space before I begin the actual piece.
Is there a moment when you know a material is right for an idea, or is it something you discover while working?
I believe I am spontaneous with my work. Some materials come to me or my mind when I am either about to finish my work or before I even start. It basically goes both ways. Sometimes I just know what will suit the best and sometimes with research I find materials for myself.
What feels difficult or unresolved in your practice right now?
I feel everytime I do any type of work, I will always judge it harshly and find mistakes that no one else will. I’ve been told that I always critique my work a lot, but it’s positive for me. If I see I’m lacking in something, like how I rendered a certain area or how I drew something. I always make sure that the next time I do it, I resolve all the issues. Not only as artists, but even as human beings we are not meant to be perfect so things will always be unresolved and unfinished, and I find that endearing.
If you could speak to your younger self now, from your position as a teacher, what would you want her to hear?
Keep writing those lists. They are the map to your art. You will succeed in everything you have put your mind to. You never changed what you always wanted to be and that takes commitment and effort. Hard work always pays off in ways that we can’t even imagine.
