By Sadequain’s Masterpieces in Dubai
Celebrated artworks of Sadequain, one of Pakistan’s most legendary artists, was recently on view at Noor Royal Gallery in Dubai. A pioneer of contemporary calligraphy, Syed Sadequain Ahmed Naqvi, was also a muralist, poet and artist, who depicted the reality of human survival on his canvases.
Born in 1930 in Amroha in India, he migrated to Pakistan in 1948, post the partition and, is estimated to have painted over 15,000 artworks. Over the years, he became one of South Asia’s most significant and revered modern artists.
Traces of Picasso, Dali and Van Gogh’s artistic styles, can be found in Sadequain’s art. The humble cactus and its resilience in the desert, greatly impressed the artist, who painted it as a metaphor in his works to depict struggle, persistence and defiance against adversity. A firm believer that art should be accessible to all, he painted a series of murals across several public institutions in Pakistan, including The Treasures of Time (1961) at State Bank of Pakistan, Karachi, Saga of Labour (1967) Mangal Dam, Quest for Knowledge (1968) at Punjab University, Lahore.
When asked about his art, he reportedly said, “People ask me why I don’t paint flowers, butterflies and landscapes, I tell them that I see the truth and I am after reality, I am not inspired by someone posing against the backdrop of roses in vases or pink curtains. What inspires me is a person who has gone hungry for hours and is struggling for survival. The expression that lights his face at the end of the day when he has finally found some scraps, that is what touches me. I am a painter of the expression of reality.”
The opening of the exhibition at Noor Gallery was attended by HE Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UAE and Sheikha Noor, Founder and Director of Noor Royal Gallery. The exhibition showcased a curated selection of masterpieces from the galleries’ private collection. Also on display was, The Holy Sinner, a 700 page mammoth book written as a tribute to the artist.