Desis, are you into fine arts? If yes, then this empowering interview will help you in holding your ground firm to a successful future in fine arts.
Dr Rifaat Saif Dar is one of the most successful female fine arts professors in the city of Lahore. She is the chairperson of the fine arts department in Lahore College University for Women (LCWU). She has been serving since 1995 with excellence and has helped in empowering the finest young artists in Pakistan. Dr. Rifaat has received a gold medal in painting after completing her Bachelor’s degree and her Master’s degree from Punjab University. She has received several awards for exhibitions and achieved scholarships in her academic years.
Dr Rifaat Saif Dar As an Artist
What inspired you to become an artist?
My family is filled with keen readers who read books of all kinds and it used to captivate my attention towards creativity. From a very young age, my father used to take me to places like museums and historical places which amazed me a lot. I used to wonder how things are designed and made in such a beautiful manner.
Is there a specific field that you consider as your favourite in fine arts?
I enjoy painting a lot. Painting gives me the freedom to express myself more expressively, I find it be very empowering. I love to paint in my free time and I paint the most random things. I feel like the details of the simplest things around me demonstrate the essence of life.
Paitnting-Kashmir bleeds by Dr. Rifaat Saif Dar
Society and Arts
Did you face questions while opting for this field in your college?
My family members and relatives are doctors and engineers, so I had a little fear of not standing out among them. But simultaneously, I wanted to be something unique and different to prove to the world that art is also as important as other professions. Also, I was blessed enough to be raised by a father who was professionally concerned with history and art.
What would you say to motivate our youth to choose arts as their profession?
I would say to them to be themselves and try to choose a profession where they find their purpose in life. Stop being fearful of the future and work on your present. Moreover, in this era of digitalization, it is easy to build a career in arts as people have platforms at their fingertips. You will learn throughout your life that everything you do is an art and requires a creative process.
Importance of Fine Art as A Professor
How long has it been since you joined this profession and why did you choose it?
My journey of teaching fine arts started back in 1995 and, I haven’t stopped teaching since! I plan to take my passion for teaching as long as I can into the future. I chose to teach art because I wanted people to find their inner creativity. Also, it is necessary to spread the wisdom of art among people and assist in empowering them as much as possible.
What other components or courses do you feel should be added to this degree?
Fine Arts and Archelogy should be a combination because they both function together more adequately. Archaeology requires knowledge of art and, Fine Arts requires knowledge of archaeology. I believe that a person who’s good in arts is eventually good at archaeology and, a person who is good in archaeology is good at arts.
Dr Rifaat Saif Dar on Fine Arts As A Career
What would you say to all young students who want to opt for fine arts as their career and what would you advise them?
It is a diverse field and, there is a lot of room for you to learn and explore yourself. Most people think it is about entirely painting which is wrong. The courses designed for this degree have a lot more to offer. Fine art is required in almost all aspects of life and almost in every career. Moreover, the scope of creativity can never come to an end.
What would you advise all the young women who want to opt for a career in Fine Arts while being married?
Everything in life needs balance. Being a working woman doesn’t mean you can’t be a homemaker. Whatever you do in life is art. Even the simplest house chores like making tea require are a process that makes it art. So, everything in life is possible as long as you find your interest in it and figure out what makes you happy.
To Conclude
Dr Rifaat Saif Dar is a living example for all who want to pursue a career in arts to be successful. Moreover, She and her husband, Jamil Hussain – a fine artist and a ceramist, have raised their own family to find their inner creative artist. We can’t thank enough people like Dr Rifaat Saif Dar, who is on a mission towards empowering artists to represent Pakistan both on national and international levels.
