The Art of Living trees, Bonsai (in Karachi) – Annual Bonsai Exhibition 2013

by Abubaker Siddiq Shekhani · Published September 1, 2013 · Updated February 28, 2020

Bonsai.. The word looks familiar to me. I heard it someone saying Bonzai. Yes in Pakistan. I had never been outside Pakistan, so I am sure I have heard it in Pakistan. I asked them what it is. They told me that Bonsai is an Art. I asked what type of Art; like painting ? drawing .. sketching.. landscape painting.. and the answer to all was ‘NO’. From there the journey of research on Bonsai started and within 2 years I was equipped with lot of information.

Bonsai is an Ancient Japanese Art of growing ‘Tree in a Pot’. Trees are so big, how can they fit in a pot? Yes they are Big. But then, how? The ultimate aim is to grow a tree in a shallow Pot so that it mimics nature. So it is like mimicking trees in nature with the actual living tree material. It is about the proportion and balance that catches the eye. The living tree in a shallow pot needs to look like a tree like its counter-part in nature. The amazing part is that it is done with the living material. This is why Bonsai masters say that a Bonsai is never finished. It keeps on growing and the master has to maintain it to retain its shape and size. This art is thousands of year’s old living art and it is being practiced in various parts of the world including America, Japan, China and South Africa. And like most of the Arts like Music, our Pakistan is not behind any of these countries. The Art of Bonsai is being practiced in Pakistan since years now.

Before it reached general public, Bonsai was considered as an expensive Art and usually only the elite class had access to it, to grow it and to maintain it and exhibit it. But now this is not the case. Anyone with a creative mind and has love with nature (plants in particular) can grow Bonsai. Yes I said grow Bonsai not buy ready-made Bonsai available at Nurseries. Bonsai can be grown and there is a science and an artistic part behind growing it. It is just like any other art and can be mastered with practice, patience, and experience and contributing.

Like every year, this year Pakistan Bonsai Society organized Annual Bonsai Exhibition 2013 where the experienced Bonsai masters of Karachi exhibited their Trees for the general public. Oh I mean Bonsai. The exhibition was held at Bonsai Center, Zam Zama Park, Karachi from 30^th August 2013 to 1^stSeptember 2013 from 4 pm to 9 pm.

I participated in the Exhibition like every year since I am an active member of Pakistan Bonsai Society.