See what this programme offers

SEMESTER 3

Visual Thinking and Inquiry I

This course is designed to introduce students with a comprehensive understanding of the important aspects and characteristics of 2D, 3D, and New Media mediums in relation to the development of ideas, research, and concepts in art. Through a series of practical exercises, theoretical discussions, and critical analysis, students will explore the techniques and possibilities offered by each medium and develop a deeper appreciation for the interconnectedness of different art forms

Drawing Methodologies

This course aims to develop an understanding of drawing as a vessel of expression, documentation, research, and inquiry. The course encourages the development of a visual vocabulary and the process of image making through the exploration of drawing techniques, and the translation of observation and perception into pictorial compositions. Marking a departure from a traditional approach, the course employs expressive and gestural methods to study observation from life, still/moving images, and image references, to explore materials, mediums, and methods towards imaginative expression. Through an exploration of local and global contemporary drawing practices and different aesthetic approaches, the course enables personalised expression and an independent thought process. The course intends to situate drawing as a core subject that informs and supports all studios within the department.

Art & Context l

This course is designed to encourage students to actively look at artwork formally and critically through thinking and writing exercises. The presentations and projects in this course aim at organising observations, interpretations and ideas across various subject matter and disciplines in the field of visual arts. This prerequisite course allows for the development of an inquiring mind, methods to initiate and execute ideas independently, and the recognition of a personal voice during the process.

SEMESTER 4

Visual Thinking and Inquiry II

This course is designed to help students take forward their knowledge of the fundamental aspects of visual production such as, form, volume, surface, scale and narrative. Through prolonged exercises oriented around discussions, resources and themes students will work with a combination of materials and processes in order to understand how diverse disciplines, practices and ways of thinking can be fused.

The course offers an intriguing blend of genres, spanning photography, sculpture, performance, textiles, and collage. Its overarching goal is to guide students in discovering their interests, understanding their individual approaches to materials and ideas, and realizing their creative potential

Drawing Methodology  ll

This course explores experimental figure drawing through observational and analytical drawing, and an inquiry into materials and mediums. Core skills are developed to allow a wide range of creative solutions that also support and inform other studio-based projects. By departing from traditional approaches, the course encourages building a personal vocabulary through stepping outside of comfort zones. Observation and analysis remain central to each experience, with a strong emphasis on the relationship between the eye and the hand as the foundation of all study. Technical ability is paired with an exploration of various drawing mediums, leading to a broader understanding of drawing strategies, as well as deepening skills in observation, analysis, and expression.

Art & Context ll

This course emphasizes contemporary artist practices which are local and international in relation to contemporary global theories and movements. Art in Pakistan is fast gaining international importance and is becoming a dynamic field to be involved in. This imposes considerable challenges upon the art practice in the 21st. century. The course objectively investigates crucial questions around art, and how it can contribute towards the growth of society in Pakistan. Critical questions around why society provokes the direction of art practices and the influences of the creators are unpacked in this course. By examining to what extent society is embodied in visual art, the course raises the crucial question: ‘Should art reflect society?’

Digital Tools & Application I

The course introduces students to the essentials of computer skills and software, supporting the expansion of a personal visual vocabulary within the scope of the visual arts. The course is tailored to meet the specific requirements of the Fine Art curriculum. Students gain a foundational proficiency in computer graphics, enabling the development of independent, original artwork. Additionally, the course equips students to apply design principles to a wide range of communication challenges across various media forms. The course also provides a valuable opportunity for professional development in areas such as graphics, illustration, Photo editing, sequential art, typography, image processing, motion graphics, and visual narration.

SEMESTER 5

Courses in Semester 5 and 6 are designed to follow an integrated studio system which will allow for a broader form of practice, keeping an interdisciplinary and contemporary approach in mind. Students choose one area of study from three pathways: 2D Studios, 3D Studios, & Multimedia Studios.

2D Studio I

The 2D Studios course explores the expanded field of painting through understanding politics of contemporary image making and abstraction. The course foregrounds compositional relations, picture plane and surface as fundamental features to the production of visuals. Through an engagement with various materials and mediums, supported by extensive theoretical readings, the course encourages students to place and study their own ideas and practice within the greater context of history of art/imagemaking. The course incorporates extensive workshops within the 2D studios for an extended understanding of medium and its impact on production.

3D Studio I

The 3D Studios will explore matter, material, scale and production in relation to ideas of place and audience. Students will go through various workshops where they will be introduced to a range of traditional and contemporary methods of production. Through experimentation and interventions students will be expected to work around ideas on object making, assemblage, installation, drawing, found objects, digital matter and the moving image. We encourage understanding production in its broadest sense and through the context of space, place, audience and time. Technical support will be provided in the use of metal, wood, ceramics, construction, casting and moulding techniques and the still and moving image.

Multimedia studio I

This is an introductory studio course that explores the dynamic relationship between technology, visual culture, and contemporary art practices. It encourages students to engage critically and creatively with software tools and manifest their ideas in screen based medium. Through tutorials and hands-on projects and conceptual inquiry, students will examine how Multimedia Art intersects with traditional art forms and experimental approaches. The course emphasizes the use of animation, sound & installation as core methods for artistic expression and exploration. Alongside technical skill development, students will be supported in developing a reflective and critical practice that situates their work within the broader context of contemporary art. By the end of the course, students will have produced a body of work that demonstrates their understanding of how use of multimedia approaches informs and transforms creative practices today.

Drawing Methodology  lll

This drawing course explores the boundaries of traditional approaches in drawing. It is designed to ask questions about what drawing is, explore the conventions of drawing, and experiment with unfamiliar/unexpected materials, methods, theories and presentations in the medium of drawing. This course will also explore the full range of ideas that are currently in use and stretch the known limits of what is considered a drawing. We will explore the aesthetic merit of each of these and how they might relate to the student’s particular vision. The course is designed to strengthen ideas of material research in students. Students are expected to experiment with concepts within material, scale, space, site specificity, surfaces, tangible and intangible objects in order to develop new skill sets and expressions. They will be introduced to a vast range of contemporary practices which incorporate advanced and unconventional ways of drawing.

Digital Tools & Application II

The course builds upon the foundational skills acquired in Computer Studies I, advancing students’ proficiency in digital tools and technologies relevant to contemporary art practices. It delves deeper into interactive media, advanced image manipulation, motion graphics, and digital fabrication techniques. Emphasis is placed on integrating digital processes with conceptual development, encouraging students to critically engage with technology as both a medium and a subject in their creative work. Through project-based learning, students explore experimental workflows that merge traditional and digital practices, with the aim of developing a cohesive and innovative digital art practice. The course also supports the creation of portfolio-ready projects and prepares students for professional applications of technology in the visual arts.

SEMESTER 6
2D Studio II

This course will offer an advanced understanding of the expanded field of image making and abstraction, through mediums of paint, drawing, printmaking and photography. By considering compositional relations, picture plane, colour and surface as fundamental features in the production of visuals, the course encourages the use of different materials and mediums alongside extensive theoretical readings, which contextualise practice within the greater context of history of art/image-making.

3D Studio II

The course explores an advanced understanding of material, production and movement in relation to ideas of place and audience. Various elective workshops introduce concepts of space, technology, and craft intervention. Technical support is provided in the use of metal, wood, ceramics, construction, casting, moulding techniques, and in forming still and moving images. Knowledge and exploration of material availability in local market areas is an integral component of the course.

Multimedia Studio II

This advanced level, studio-oriented course reinforces the conceptualization of ideas and identification of artistic inclinations through the use of digital media as a tool. New Media Studio II provides a hands-on experience that emphasises experimentation and exploration with evolving digital mediums, allowing for the imaginative, conceptual, and narrative to be executed digitally. The use of interactive/web-based forms, animation, and print media, further develops skills and encourages the development of an individual artistic vision through the use of digital media.

Drawing Methodology  lV

This course is designed to further strengthen material exploration. Projects are designed to push the limitations and possibilities of various methods and processes through the use of unconventional materials. The course encourages experimenting with scale, space, site specificity, surfaces, and tangible and intangible objects in order to develop new skill sets and expressions. The course also aims to provide a historical context for experimental drawing, exploring the works of artists who have pushed the boundaries of the medium, and the social and cultural contexts that have influenced their work.

Art & Context III

This course  addresses the exploration of artists’ processes and intentions in relation to the social, cultural and political issues of their time. Using a thematic approach, this course employs visuals and texts to encourage students to think critically about how artists choose to represent their ideas and enables them to read books and construct meaning in artworks.

SEMESTER 7
Thesis Studio l

Thesis Studio I is structured around three key components: Idea, Image-Making, and Research, with a strong emphasis on developing both technical skills and creative methodologies. This framework encourages students to engage deeply with their concepts while refining their practical abilities. Following an advisory model, the studio provides students with the opportunity to organise and structure their research and studio practice through one-on-one supervision, group tutorials, and material exploration. Towards the end of the semester, students will be required to present comprehensive studio work that reflects the progress of their research and creative practice.

Drawing Methodology V

This drawing course is designed to teach drawing as a tool for visualizing and communicating ideas. The course encourages the use of different techniques for creating expressive and dynamic drawings that convey a sense of movement, mood and meaning. It enables experimenting with contemporary methods and challenges basic skill sets such as line, composition, form and colour. The course will also focus on developing critical thinking skills by exploring the relationship between drawing and other forms of visual communication. This course aims to understand drawing as an independent medium.

Final Research Paper (FRP)

The Final Research Paper constitutes the last leap that pushes students to the level of articulation and intellectual maturity toward which all tracks of the Liberal Arts programme have been working. The essay requires both extensive reading of secondary sources as well as primary research. The research process encourages an understanding of the students’ roles as citizens, designers, artists, and architects in Pakistan, and also prepares them for higher education and the professional work environments.

The Final Research Paper is written over one semester (7th for all departments except Architecture, for whom it is the 9th semester) and submitted at the end of the Spring semester of a student’s final year. Weekly meetings with a departmental supervisor, and frequent meetings with the research coordinator, support the students throughout their progress. The Final Research Papers are graded by the departmental supervisor as well as a second reader, a faculty member selected by the student from outside their department. Both the supervisor and the reader mark students according to set criteria including methodology, content, and structure.

SEMESTER 8
Thesis Studio ll

Students in semester 8 work towards the culmination of their practice initiated in Semester 7, arriving at a consolidated body of work. Through investigation, research, and an intense dialogic process, students shape their concepts and produce visual manifestations that thoughtfully engage with form, medium, and materiality. In preparation for the final thesis presentation, the course offers students the opportunity to curate their final body of work, gain firsthand experience with the processes involved in installing a show, and confidently articulate their concepts verbally to a jury.

Professional Practice

This course is designed for senior-year thesis students to help them understand their own practice through a poetic, thoughtful, and conscious engagement. It also aims to develop practical skills such as writing a CV, presenting work, building a portfolio, articulating ideas, and applying to residencies and grants, skills that are essential in the professional field and within the art and cultural sector. The course is structured to foster critical thinking and to develop curatorial strategies around thesis work. These elements contribute to the conceptualisation of final thesis projects in terms of installation and presentation. Projects within this course emphasize working collectively, collaboratively, and through peer learning.

Internship

The Department of Fine Art facilitates an internship programme during the summer break for students in semester seven. Students are expected to work in national and international creative organizations, galleries, NGOs, television, artists’ studios, and other visual / creative fields.This experience with artists, curators, and art managers is a means to enhance the students’ personal as well as professional developmental skills, and provides a platform from which they can make more informed and educated decisions about their future careers and research.

AWARDS / GRANTS / SCHOLARSHIPS

The Department of Fine Art offers major awards to students who show excellence in their studio practice and academic research. The Zahoor-ul-Akhlaq Drawing Portfolio Award, instituted in the name of the celebrated artist, is presented to the student who has excelled in drawing during the final year. The Abu Shamim Arif Award for Academic Research, set up by the Foundation of Museum of Modern Art (FOMMA), and instituted after the eminent bureaucrat and former member of the IVS Executive Committee, is awarded to the student who excels in academic research. The Sher Asfandyar Khan Scholarship Fund consists of two awards presented to students demonstrating academic excellence and/or deserving financial assistance in the final semester. The Jalaluddin Ahmed Award is presented to a graduating student with the highest CGPA in the program. The Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy Scholarship is awarded to a student who has employed film and digital media in their final-year thesis project.

COLLABORATIONS AND AFFILIATIONS

The Department of Fine Art works in close collaboration with the Vasl Artists’ Association, the Italian Consulate, the Goethe Institute, the American Consulate, TCF, CAP,  The British Council and the Karachi Biennale Trust.