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Coolies take a breather at Karachi Cantt Station

I put Karachi through photo editing app Prisma and the results were phenomenal

Prisma is the reason why you think everyone on your friends list turned into illustrators and fine artists overnight
Updated 25 Jul, 2016

I recently started noticing some unusual activity on Instagram and Facebook; it appeared people had turned into seasoned illustrators and fine artists overnight. This faux transformation was all courtesy of Prisma — a new iOS app that turns your photos “into artwork using styles of famous artists”.

Intrigued, I sifted through my photographs of Karachi and tried various Prisma looks on them; The results left me spellbound.

This app’s filters, inspired by artists including Edvard Munch and Piet Mondrian, are nothing short of magic. It's easy to see why the revolutionary app has instantly become a hit with users.

So I thought — why not use it on Karachi?

Here's what the city of lights looked like after receiving the Prisma treatment:

A chaiwala at Jodia Bazaar

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A date merchant at Kohri Garden

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A load-moving tractor in Shershah

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An upcoming Bahria Town project on Allahwala Chowrangi

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A man selling pappads

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A temporary bus junction transporting rally supporters near Shahrah-e-Quaideen

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A truck carrying another truck near Boating Basin

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A worker torches metal at the Gadani ship-breaking yard

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An old residence called Loveland in PECHS

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Waiting for customers at Karachi's Hawksbay Beach

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An outdoor chai cafe on Khalid Bin Waleed Road

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Dusk at Do Darya

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An oil rail carriage at Karachi Cantt Station

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Bagh Ibn-E-Qasim

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Attempts to salvage a decommissioned vessel at the Gadani ship-breaking yard

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Policemen keep watch outside the Press Club

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Tai Chi at Frere Hall

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Shahzaib Arif Shaikh is an architect and photographer. You can find more of his work on Instagram at @ashahzaib and @monochrome.studios.