Spotlight Alumna: Sundas Matloob and Her Artistic Journey

By Rimsha Ali Shah

This month in our spotlight profile, we take you through the journey of Sundas Matloob, a NESA alumna, who discovered the artist and curator within her through her interaction with art in the United States.  She has since graduated with honors from National College of Arts and Beaconhouse National University.  Matloob is the first Pakistani to be selected for an internship at the Smithsonian, a curator, a painter and a mom of a beautiful little daughter.

“Back in 2009 when I was going for my year-long exchange program, I was only exposed to a certain color palette for painting.  Without realizing I had restricted my artistic abilities to designs and colors that were characteristic of the stereotypical work of a painter.  It was all blue, black and red!” Matloob reminisced.

While at Clarion University Matloob decided to reinvent herself by probing deeper in to the kind of art that was her signature style.  “My professors Vicky A. Clark and Melissa were the ones that truly helped me break-free and figure out my signature style.  The challenge to use bold colors and literally pull off something totally bizarre excited me.  That is when I unleashed the artist within me.”

Along with studying courses like “Issues in Contemporary Art” and “Women in Art,” Matloob also experienced art galleries in the United States.  She visited innumerable art galleries during that one year including the Whitney Museum, The Phillips Collection, and Watson Gallery of Arts.  “My ideas on art were shattered and deconstructed after visiting each gallery,” she recalls.

Matloob’s turning point as an artist came not only through gallery visits, but through the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to intern at the commercial Alex Galleries.  “The experience I had there of assisting in curating the exhibition, dealing with the collectors, the visitors, the intricate placement of the work and all the nitty-gritties that went in to putting together an exhibition that had visitors say ‘wow!’ helped me realize my true calling as a curator.”

When asked about her favorite work to date from her exchange program, Matloob mentioned the collaborative work she undertook with two other artists: Marion Barber and Chloe Boden.  The project was centered on the theme of giving up the artistic ownership and working in collaboration with other artists.  “Chloe had to build on what I had worked on, I had to work on what Marion had, and vice versa.  As an artist, it was very challenging but the biggest learning experience for me.  The end result was a hybrid of ideas, influences, and perceptions melted in to one work.”

Matloob’s diverse academic experiences in Pakistan and the United States culminated in her thesis project at the National College of Arts on the interaction between feminism and the arts.  Her interaction with feminist art theory and contemporary artwork during her NESA experience directed her attention towards exploring the gender-bias in reading material for primary school children and showcasing it through her artwork.  “Our text books mainly have male characters, so my thesis was a counter-narrative to that.  ‘Aslam ki Kahani, Dolly ki Zubani’ commented on the absence of a feminist hero in our school text books.”

Her internship at Alex Galleries in the United States sparked Matloob’s interest in curation, and in 2015 Matloob was chosen as the first Pakistani to participate in the prestigious Smithsonian Internship Program in Washington, DC.  “That experience helped me learn so much more about curation and art communication.  I delivered three gallery talks to participants on Renaissance and traditional art, Romanticism and Orientalism.  I had around 20 – 25 visitors for my gallery talk on Romanticism and Orientalism and I was ecstatic!  The response was amazing and I knew after that, that I wanted to learn more about the allure of the East since there was limited literature available on the matter.”

Driven by a desire to better understand the curator’s role in presenting art, Matloob used her Master’s thesis at Beaconhouse National University to explore the relationship between the artist and curator and the idea of shared spaces.  Matloob worked with two artists, Ayesha Abid Hussain and Hermatullain, and learned about their process as artists and, her role in the process as the curator.  The final curatorial project was exhibited in room 24 at the 100-year old Gatmel Motel in Rawalpindi.  More than 80 people attended her thesis presentation, and Matloob continues to exhibit her work in the room.

Matloob has taught at National University of Science and Technology – School of Architecture, Design and Arts (NUST – SADA) and at the National College of Arts.  She graduated from NCA with honors, receiving the coveted Shakir Ali Award, Muhammad Ajmal Kardar Gold Medal, and Sir Percy Brown Prize.  She has also showcased her work at Tahzeeb Art Café, U.S. Embassy Islamabad, and the Satrang Art Gallery where she showcased her curatorial project on “Reconstructing Home.”

Her exchange program helped Matloob evolve, grow and identify her niche in the field of art.  What’s next for Matloob?  We are just excited to know as you!