Hope Under Siege - An Interpretation by Mahboob Ali

In recent times, a series of deep seated global and cultural developments began to change the context in which artists worked. The exploration of different forms and materials was the way in which art responded to a radically changing social and cultural environment. Artists who have raised social issues through their work express not only personal views but also concerns about the values and norm

Musing on the sacred and the corporeal : Ali Akbar by Marjorie Husain

Ali Akbar is one of the brightest young stars to have emerged on the scene in recent years. An artist trained in the miniature tradition, Akbar graduated in Fine Arts from the National College of Art with honours in 2008, but his experience and initiative far outreaches the boundaries of an art institution. I first encountered him in the mid nineties at Jamil Naqsh’s home in Karachi.

A cacophony of movement: Irfan Haider Mirza by Marjorie Husain

The bold, explosive work of Irfan Haider Mirza has placed him on the art scene in Pakistan as a young painter to watch out for. A former student of the Karachi School of Art, since his graduation in 2007, Irfan has participated in several exhibitions, his work capturing audience attention for the energetic movement that appears to communicate the painter’s pulse of life.

The aesthetic force of a young artist: Saqiba Haq by Marjorie Husain

The expression of creative beings in the field of art today constitutes a fusion of reality and fantasy addressed by myriad influences and experience. In each society, the environment of the artist, aspects of humanity; love, despair, beauty, as well as expanding perceptions are introducing new realities in voices which audiences strive to absorb.

The fascinating world of: Zarah David by Marjorie Husain

In paintings by Zarah David, the uncluttered, translucent method she employs is far from a photographic representation. One finds the artist’s handling of colour and surface textures evoke impressions of eerily beautiful settings seen from a wistful distance and charged with anticipation - waiting to be explored.

An artist of forceful expression: Qamar Siddiqui by Marjorie Husain

In his work, Qamar Siddiqui explores the psychic actuality of ordinary people. The artist documents fragmented experience in various stages of life, observing the material goals predominant in the world as he sees it, with poignant romantic cameos easing the programmed life cycle.

Contemporary realism by Salwat Ali

Manifest as a lively mix of tradition and modernity, art in Pakistan straddles the radical and the conservative with remarkable ease. Mutually exclusive, partial or hybrid an eclectic art practice has given birth to modernist innovation, neo realism and the renewal of genre.

Mahboob Ali’s Art

Mahboob Ali, is perhaps the only artist who has devoted his entire career to woodcut - an ancient technique of printmaking.A native Lahore-ite, and a graduate of the National College of Arts, he has not gained immense recognition at home and abroad. In his own words, “this medium is very difficult, laborious and requires patience.”

Curator and Artists: Behind the Scenes

Hanging Fire: Contemporary Art from Pakistan brings to New York some of Pakistan’s most significant, provocative, and influential artists in the first U.S. museum survey exhibition of contemporary Pakistani art. Although Pakistan frequently makes the headlines for very different reasons, its rich cultural heritage and vibrant contemporary art scene often go unnoticed. Pakistani civil society has a

Mehboob Ali, an artist for all seasons

Mehboob Ali had his early education at Lahore, after achieving his school certificate he joined the National College of Arts and after four years of study received the national Diploma in Design. He has held numerous exhibitions of his work at Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, Berlin and Wakayama and recently in London. He has won numerous prizes too....

A promising start : By Marjorie Husain

In order to join an art school, generally the would-be student must show a folder of drawings to the principal and be prepared to work on a drawing on the spot. Thereafter follows four years of ideally, rigorous training, but those years are possibly the happiest years to look back upon. Often students never really leave school, they stay on to teach, though many find it difficult to teach art....

Energy across the canvas

Many of Qamar Siddiqui’s pictures are occupied by strange, mystic figures. The large scale, narrative work rendered in oil and acrylic paint on canvas was recently exhibited at Chawkandi Art Gallery, where its powerful impact was strangely disturbing.

Hope Under Siege

After a successful photography exhibition held in Dubai last December, Villano6 – in association with Showcase Gallery – is all set to bring an exciting collection of Pakistani contemporary art for art connoisseurs in the Emirates.

Sea to believe

The exhibition is brought up by Omer Alvie, the creative director of Villano6, and highlights an exclusive collection of spectacular limited edition prints of Karachi beaches. Though these images are still, even a brief look at the scenery is emotionally overwhelming – transporting its onlooker to the stimulating ambience of dusk. They reveal an intricacy of emotions that break pre-conceived notio

Putting the spotlight on…Ali Khurshid

A young, budding photographer, Ali Khurshid’s work seems to speak volumes. His attention to detail, light, angles and the overall composition makes Ali’s work depict an intricacy of emotions – woven to form a story, captured in time. And that is what makes his work out to be so very nostalgically timeless. Briefly interviewed in TIME magazine’s 2006 issue, Ali fondly recalls the day he realized

Postmodernism: Recent Developments in Art in Pakistan and Bangladesh

The first years of the twenty-first century have been a critical time for Bangladesh and Pakistan. Although the arts are thriving, the political climate is unstable. Bangladesh, which declared independence from Pakistan in 1971, has yet to get on its feet. It is an extremely poor, overpopulated nation. After Pakistan~!~s fiftieth anniversary in 1997, many questions still loom. Are the principles u

Qatar will share Clive flask with V&A in London

LONDON. The Clive of India Flask, which was bought by Sheikh Saud al-Thani for Qatar, is expected to go on long-term loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A). Four years ago the V&A tried to buy the flask for nearly £3m while an export licence was deferred, but the Sheikh withdrew the application. Since then the greatest of the Clive of India treasures, which belonged to the soldier who was k

How to Start Your High-End Art Collection

It~!~s time to start that art collection. You~!~ve got the Richard Meier-designed loft. You decorated in a contemporary mix of Gustavian antiques with touches of Moooi and Minotti. Now you~!~re left with four stark-white walls that yearn for an art collection of Rothko, Warhol and Richard Prince that, given the current state of the stock market, you simply can~!~t afford. Short of decorating w

Ali Khurshid : Pakistani photographer featured by Time

By nor our readers would know that TIME magazine’s ‘Person of the Year’ for 2006 is ‘You.’ For those who may not yet have actually seen the issue or not checked their email recently, the exciting news is that YOU-The Pakistani are represented on this by a 22-year old Pakistani photography hound, Ali Khurshid.

Arab artist's work gets record price at Christie's

Dubai: A spectacular Triptych by Algerian artist Rachid Koraichi fetched Dh1.8 million, a world record price for the artist and the second highest price for a modern Arab work of art, at Christie's Dubai auction on Thursday. A triptych is a panel painting divided into three sections. Christie's fifth auction of International Modern and Contemporary Art on Thursday netted a total Dh 31.8 mil

Charles Saatchi's journey

It feels strange to enter a gallery of contemporary art beneath a massive classical portico. Yet there is a kind of inevitability in Charles Saatchi’s journey from abandoned factory to classical pudding. Saatchi’s first gallery was poetically situated in a former paint works. In 1985 it was among the first of London’s industrial art spaces. It was designed by American architect Max Gordon,

Mori Art Museum

"Chalo! India" or "Let's go!" in Hindi examines the way in which Indian artists use their growing awareness and ever developing sense of freedom to challenge the traditions and mores of contemporary Indian society. It features 100 new or recent works by 25 artists and artist groups from across India who use painting, sculpture, photography, media art and installation to explain and explore the com

ARTFIEND: Floating Prayers

With several successful solo and group shows in Pakistan and Europe to her credit, Islamabad-based Humera mounted a solo show titled ‘Sacred spectra’ in Karachi recently. Her 37 paintings on exhibit at the Indus Gallery are imaginative portraits as well as unrecognisable forms rendered in pastels on sandpaper. Humera, who has been painting violence against women until the recent past has set a

Persian calligraphers exhibit exquisite Islamic Art

As many as 56 exquisite calligraphic pieces were put on display at an exhibition, featuring Persian and Arabic calligraphy by two Persian calligraphers, Mohammad Naiech and Mohammad Taqi Ibrahimi, that held here Monday at Sir Syed Memorial. Both the artists exhibited their own individual style in their works while presenting an entirely traditional form of calligraphy. Most of the pieces inclu

To Picasso, from Pakistan

This one’s for Picasso! Jamil Naqsh, Pakistani artist, wanted to pay a tribute to the all-time great Pablo Picasso. And that was how one got to see Jamil’s recent works at an exhibition in the city a few days ago. Of hosts and guests: Nitin Bhalla, and his beautiful wife, Anjali were the hosts. The talking point of the rest of the evening was the very short, yun aaye, yun gaye presence of Robe

COLLECTOR’S CHOICE: The Art Of The Written Word

The field of calligraphy in Pakistan is dominated largely by men and the emergence of Ruheena Malik as a female calligrapher with an individual approach is something of a novelty. Entirely unlettered in the art of calligraphy, yet writing with the fluency of a ‘khatat’, Malik’s rendering of Quranic text defies both categories. Completely readable and free from avant garde stylisations, her scri

MINIATURE: Survival Of A Revival

We are experiencing a modern revival of miniature painting tradition that is unrivalled. This contemporary miniature art movement, emanating from a premier art institute of Pakistan, while being firmly grounded in tradition, has taken post-modern art by storm. It has a serious following locally and internationally and enjoys the support of curators, gallery owners, critics and collectors alike.

Top Pakistani artist to hold exhibition in Delhi

For Indians unfamiliar with the fraternity of artists in Pakistan, master modernist Jamil Naqsh can be best described as Pakistan~!~s M F Husain - a man who lives by his art and on his own terms. India born Naqsh, Pakistan~!~s leading modern artist, who leads a reclusive life in London, will host his first-ever solo show in the capital on Sep 15 at the Alliance Francaise, exhibiting a cache of 40

Christie’s International Announces Worldwide Sales Of £1.8 billion

Advertising Info London/Dubai , UAE - July 23, 2008: Christie~!~s International, the world’s leading art business, announced today worldwide sales of £1.8 billion ($3.5 billion) for the first six months of 2008, an increase of 10% by £ on last year’s figure of £1.6 billion ($3.2 billion) for the same period. (Figures include buyer’s premium.) In Christie~!~s salesrooms around the world, 4

Prices soar for modern Pakistani art

At a newly established art gallery in Pakistan~!~s southern city of Karachi curious visitors sneak inside - hours before the formal opening of an art show. Nearly all the works at Vision had been sold even before the exhibition opened They are looking for paintings by Mansoor Aye, who died earlier this year, or by the elderly and frail Tasadduq Sohail. In Pakistan~!~s increasingly speculative ar

Do I hear $25 million? Christie's in the UAE

Last week~!~s spectacular dual auction by Christie~!~s of the some of world~!~s finest jewels and the largest collection of Middle Eastern art to go under the hammer is the latest sign that the UAE has become a key player on the global arts scene. But what does the future hold? If ever there was a good place to be during these troubled financial times it was at last week~!~s Christie~!~s auction i

Best of Pakistani art comes to Bradford

Pakistani art has a champion at Bradford University. Curator Alison Darnbrough has brought some of the country~!~s most important artists to England. Nick Ahad on the latest exhibition. Alison Darnbrough readily admits that she was surprised by what she found in Pakistan~!~s art world. Until a couple of years ago, the curator of Bradford University~!~s Gallery II had little knowledge of the Muslim

Middle East art market : Digging the scene

The Middle East art market is booming and there’s nowhere it’s hotter than Dubai. As Christie’s auction house gears up for another potentially record-breaking sale, managing director Michael Jeha reflects on the local climate. Visit an independent, mid-range commercial gallery in most of the art capitals of the world – from Sydney to London, Paris to New York – and you could be forgiven for th

Showcase for Pakistani art

The Mohatta Palace Museum in Karachi has hosted some of the finest art exhibitions. Cities are like people - each with its own character and idiosyncrasies. The port city of Karachi is like a youngster bursting with energy and life, with mood swings tempered by the ocean that washes its shores. Wild and passionate, grey and foaming or calm turquoise glass, the ocean defines the city~!~s outer limi

Artists pay tribute to Colin David

LAHORE: The city’s prominent artists on Tuesday paid tribute to Colin David. They said he was an unsung art hero who died leaving his master figurative pieces for the generation to come. One of the most popular artists of the 70s, has ultimately made his sufferings a triumph. Colin David never abandoned his muse but he showed his studio work to a selected audience. Through the years, he has

Colin David: A master of contemporary art

On Monday, the 25th of February 2008, Pakistan lost a distinguished and revered artist. The world of art joins his family in mourning a great and gentle soul who will continue to live through his work for all time to come. The country’s outstanding contemporary painter, Colin David, was an artist who understood the modern idiom in art. The sense of spatial harmony, brilliant use of colour

Art Changing Lives

Alia Whitney-Johnson traveled to Sri Lanka, where she was asked to fundraise for a home for 10-to-18- year-old girls, who had become mothers as a result of rape or incest. “When I walked inside the home, I never had been so overwhelmed in my entire life. I had so many feelings. I didn’t know what to do,” she says. One girl was so depressed and isolated that she had not spoken

Pakistani Art: Under the Gun

Pity Pervez Musharraf. For a military dictator torn between the forces of Islamic extremism and international opinion, even a trip to the museum is fraught. When the General opened Pakistan~!~s National Art Gallery in August, he was confronted with gutsy pieces tackling an array of provocative subjects — from burqas to madrasahs to militarism. He paused for a long time at Left Right, a video insta

Modern Idiom in Contemporary Pakistani Art

In the early post -1947 decades, the artists in Pakistan adopted Modernism not as perpetuation of the First World hegemony but as a metaphor for change and economic freedom. The society was no longer being viewed in stereotypes or idealised images, but as an evolving nation faced with the challenges of transition.

AfterShock: Conflict, Violence and Resolution in Contemporary Art

AfterShock, a major new contemporary art exhibition, opens at the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, Norwich on Saturday 14 July and runs until Sunday 2 September. The exhibition features sixteen international artists, six of whom are from India and one who is from Pakistan. The Guest Curator is Yasmin Canvin (born Zahir). Her family originally came from India and was caught up in the cross-border

London art buyers set for historic week

A painting which has not been seen by the public in over 70 years is expected to sell for £19 million when it goes under the hammer in London later this month. The sale of the Nymphaeus at the capital~!~s Sotheby~!~s auction house, said to be the most important of Monet~!~s paintings and part of his water lilies series, is seen by some as confirmation of London~!~s pre-eminence on the worl

Value of the Arts : Expanding the mind

When Harold Schnitzer was a student at MIT, he rarely had time to visit a museum or attend the symphony. But his interest in art was piqued when, in 1961, his wife opened an art gallery in Portland, Oregon. Through the gallery, the arts community, and the local symphony, Harold and Arlene’s interest in the arts deepened. Harold also recognized the value the arts would have brought to his MIT ed

The business of Art : Christies in Dubai

Many hold the opinion that the Gulf art scene is insignificant, but they are misinformed. Art has been thriving in the GCC for years, the problem has been that its appreciation on a wider scale has until now been ignored. It is only in the last few months that the Middle East art market has experienced a dramatic upturn in fortunes, with a host of new galleries and public exhibitions being announc

What Charles did next

He is the most voracious collector of contemporary art, the man who made a whole generation of Young British Artists rich and famous. Now, with an ambitious new website, a major show at the Royal Academy and a gallery opening in Chelsea, he's back. He speaks exclusively to Stuart Jeffries

Art and Pluralism

Since 9/11, Muslim militancy has hogged the headlines. This phenomenon has provoked a global interest in the relationship of identity, faith, and violence, with a particular focus on Islam. Books such as Identity and Violence by Nobel Laureate, Amartya Sen, and art exhibitions like "Without Boundary: Seventeen Ways of Looking" - a survey of the works of a number of contemporary artists w

Miniature Exodus

LAHORE: The city’s prominent artists on Tuesday paid tribute to Colin David. They said he was an unsung art hero who died leaving his master figurative pieces for the generation to come. One of the most popular artists of the 70s, has ultimately made his sufferings a triumph. Colin David never abandoned his muse but he showed his studio work to a selected audience. Through the years, he has exhibi