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The Washington Diplomat
By Gail Scott
August 14, 2007
Pakistan’s Sadequain: Reminiscent of Picasso
In celebration of Pakistan’s 60th anniversary of independence,
Ambassador Mahmud Ali Durrani and his wife Fatima hosted an exhibit
of paintings and calligraphy by their country’s most famous
artist, Syed Sadequain Ahmed Naqvi (1930-87). Popularly known
as “Sadequain,” he is regarded as one of the finest
painters and calligraphers that Pakistan has ever produced.
The exhibit was mounted by his eldest nephew, Salman Ahmad, who
fondly remembers painting as a young boy with his uncle and has
now left a successful business in information technology to create
a foundation to honor his uncle’s work.
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“Le Monde
called his work reminiscent of [Pablo] Picasso,” Ahmed told
the crowd gathered at the Pakistani Embassy. “And the New
York Times said that he was a new personality in the art world.
But Sadequain has no gallery, no museum, and I want to make sure
he and his work are not forgotten.” Sadequain is thought
to have finished thousands of canvases, numerous poems and poetry
books, and reams of sketches. Ahmad hopes to create a living memorial
to his uncle, who was known for giving his work away. “The
family has some of it, but we want to raise funds to be able to
one day gather his work together in a permanent exhibit,”
Ahmad noted.
Sadequain is especially remembered for his huge, historic murals
and avant-garde sketches of men and women with modern, more Western
themes. Although born in India, Sadequain moved to Karachi in
the early 1950s. Soon, civic activism was the hallmark of his
art. During his early work, he painted nationalistic, anti-British
slogans on the eve of the partition. Later, his politically charged
canvases became popular among the intelligentsia of the 1960s,
both in Pakistan and abroad.
Sadequain, an award-winning artist, was uninhibited in his use
of subjects and media. Lately, even his sketches have sold for
over $100,000 in Europe and the U.S.A., according to his nephew.
“He could have lived anywhere in the world,” concluded
his proud relative. “And I want to make sure everyone knows
about his vast talents and huge body of work. I hope through my
foundation’s website to hear from people who appreciate
his work and want to be part of making his work better known.”
For more information, visit www.sadequainfoundation.com, or to
contact Salman Ahmad, call (858) 538-1574 or e-mail sadequanfoundation@gmail.com.
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