Pakistan Series 1999-2000

Excerpts from the opening speech of the ‘God is Great’ exhibition at Quadrivian Galery in 2000.

Mr. Geoffrey Charles Allen - Former Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan

Pippin visited Pakistan on two occasions, in 1999. On her first visit, she supported a high commission initiative to lecture to the students of Pakistan's National College of the Art in Lahore. That lecture was very well received.

While in Pakistan, Pippin traveled widely particularly in the northern areas - to Chitral, to Gilgit, to Hunza, to the Karakoram Highway, to the Khyber Pass and to Peshawar.

As is her wont, she immersed herself, without reservation, in the local culture, eschewing many of the creature comforts, dining out on the local cuisine, savoring the precious moments and embracing the cultural and social mores of the people she encountered.

She soon became entranced by the country and by the people whom she met.

To those of us who know her well, it seemed like a catharsis - a purifying of body and soul. With her well-developed artistic talents, she has captured the light, the colour, the essence and spirituality of the landscape and the events, which stimulated her imagination during those days in Pakistan.

Her ability to reproduce in such a dramatic way these elements in the works - be they unique colours, unusual topographical settings, interesting faces, new experiences - have set her apart from many of her contemporaries. She has described this exhibition as a personal journey into the world of spirituality, warmth and acceptance of the world of Pakistan - a land where God is indeed great.

The challenge for us will be to travel with her beyond the shape, line and texture of her works to identify and to savour some of her experiences and to unlock the messages, which she is seeking to convey.