Matti ki Sargoshi was the first project of ASNA and its primary aim was to enhance an awareness of the living tradition of crafts.
To put together the show , the three curators, guided by their research, collected 400 works to showcase the skills and wares of artisans across Pakistan. They were sourced from the main pottery centers and remote mountain and desert hamlets as well as from collectors.
The display included domestic wares like wood burning stoves to cooking and storage vessels , from water pitchers to wafer thin drinking bowls. Visitors could see ceremonial vessels associated with weddings and purification rituals. Richly decorated toys and pots from Thar Desert to the blue and turquoise glazed ware from Multan, Hala and Nasserpur added color as did the architectural elements from glazed tiles of all shapes and sizes, jalees and minarets.
This vast range of clay objects that are still in use today, speaks of the importance of clay as a timeless low tech production medium. It also underlines that while clay crafts are anchored in the community external influences entered the artisanal practice with migration of potters or large commissioned projects like the Shahjehani Mosque in Thatta.
The public programming of the three week long show included talks and presentations by experts and curator led guided tours for visitors and students.