Pak. J. Engg. Appl. Sci. Vol. 26 January, 2020 (p. 63–74) 63 Manifestations of Social Realism Across Diverse Forms of Pakistani Art Munazzah Akhtar * , Sarah Javed Shah, Rabia Ahmed Qureshi Department of Architecture, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore  Corresponding Author: Email: munazzaha@gmail.com Abstract Social Realism, an artistic movement introduced in the second quarter of the twentieth century, influenced an entire generation of artists all over the world. It explores the themes ranging from poverty to anti-state demonstrations, and from depictions against imperialism to class inequality, gender oppression and social injustice. Elements of social realism are not surprising to encounter in the Pakistani art world, considering the ideals of the style and the turbulent history of the country since its independence in 1947. Pakistani artists have always been sensitive to the social and political issues of the country, which have somewhat become fragments of its identity, especially as ascertained by the Western gaze. Women’s persecution and social exclusion is one such subject that has become an identifier for Pakistan, although a human development report of the United Nations recognizes the country having better gender equality than neighboring India. Nevertheless, women oppression is also a theme that has often been explored by the profound Pakistani artists, using diverse approaches and media. The aim of this paper is to show how artistic works produced by different Pakistani artists are sometimes metaphorically, formalistically and symbolically connected in their concepts, drawing on the social realistic subject of gender oppression. The paper begins with briefly introducing the contemporary art of Pakistan and its diverse focuses. Subsequently, it juxtaposes two artistic works, produced decades apart and apparently using disparate forms: poetry and visual art. The poem titled “Merey Dard kō Jō Zubān Miley” (1972) by Modern revolutionary poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz (d. 1984), and the digital art series titled “The Veil” (2004) by contemporary artist Rashid Rana (b. 1968), are compared for this purpose. The objective is to demonstrate that although both these works appear distinct, in time and nature, yet they are covertly united in their Social Realistic theme of personifying subjugated women, as well as in their conceptual frameworks. The paper follows the methodology of formally analyzing both works; deconstructing their structures, meanings and connotations, and ultimately establishing an ekphrastic relationship between the two. Key Words: Social realism, Urdu poetry, Contemporary visual arts, Ekphrasis, Gender oppression, Inequality 1. Background Poetry is one of the most widely read literary art in Pakistan. The tradition of poetry in the region is centuries old, practiced since the 13 th century. It was largely promoted, in Persian, by the Mughal courts and Sufi saints a from 16 th century onwards. Persian poetry remained a part of the literary vehicles even after Independence. However, Urdu being declared as the national language of Pakistan, is now the premier language a Sufism is the mystical dimension in Islam and Sufi saints are considered to be the spiritual leaders of Islam. The Arabic term for Sufi saint is walī; however, it should not be confused with the Christian tradition of sainthood. In Sufism, the walis/ saints are considered masters in the art of spiritual purification and denote ones vested with the “authority of God.” of poetry, specifically since the Modern era. The traditional gatherings for the recitations of poetry, called mushāʿira, still frequently take place in different parts of the country. Similar to poetry, the roots of Modern visual art of Pakistan also trace back to the Mughal courts of India. Modern artists have focused on experimenting with the indigenous art traditions of the region, since before Independence in the early 20 th century. The artists, who moved to Pakistan after 1947, blended the notions of Islamic calligraphy, geometry and miniature paintings of Mughal era with the Modern principles to create an artistic identity exclusively for Pakistan. To promote the status of art in the society, Government of Pakistan has been conferring National Awards to selected artists, annually, in recognition of their works. The visual artists, have also conversely, suffered