Dawn Images

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

A date merchant at Kohri Garden

A load-moving tractor in Shershah

An upcoming Bahria Town project on Allahwala Chowrangi

A man selling pappads

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

A truck carrying another truck near Boating Basin

A worker torches metal at the Gadani ship-breaking yard

An old residence called Loveland in PECHS

Waiting for customers at Karachi's Hawksbay Beach

An outdoor chai cafe on Khalid Bin Waleed Road

Dusk at Do Darya

An oil rail carriage at Karachi Cantt Station

Bagh Ibn-E-Qasim

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

Policemen keep watch outside the Press Club

Tai Chi at Frere Hall

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