Saifi Soomro gets back 'lost' paintings

The controversy surrounding the the alleged theft of two paintings by Ghotki-based artist Saifi Soomro at Frere Hall came to an end on Monday, though the artist said the issue has just started.

The social media was abuzz with the matter of the young artist's works reported lost seven years ago at an exhibition at Frere Hall appearing in a television drama scene recently. There was a huge public backlash demanding the return of Saifi Soomro's paintings.

Finally on Monday, at a media event, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) Senior Director of Culture and Sports, Raza Abbas, returned the two paintings to Saifi Soomro, along with a cash prize offered by renowned artist Jimmy Engineer.

During a press conference, Saifi Soomro, accompanied by Raza Abbas, expressed serious reservation on the whole episode of his paintings getting lost and then reappearing years later. He demanded Rs1 million in royalty for his artworks. He warned that he reserves the right to take legal action if this demand is not met.

Abbas however brushed aside the allegation and told the media that they tried to contact Soomro but he was too callous to come and collect his prize and the paintings. He called the demand for a Rs1 million in royalties as blackmailing. Saifi Soomro revealed that the paintings went missing during his final year at university, where they were displayed at the Benazir Art Gallery. He had sent two paintings to the Sadequain Award exhibition, but after the event, his attempts to contact the organisers went unanswered. He later discovered his paintings being used in a TV drama seven years later.

Soomro stated, "I'm unaware where my paintings have been used. If I find out that my artwork has been monetised, I reserve the right to take legal action. We demand royalty for our artwork; otherwise, we will exercise our right to legal action."

Abbas, clarified that the matter of Saifi's paintings has now been resolved. The paintings were handed back to him in the presence of the media. He explained that the paintings had been in KMC's possession since 2017, but due to a mix-up, they were misplaced. Abbas stressed that they had no intention of keeping the artwork and wanted to return it publicly to ensure transparency.

He further added that Saifi's demand for Rs1 million was baseless and an attempt at blackmail. The paintings had not been lost or stolen but had been in their possession since 2017.

Abbas also stated that KMC did not earn any revenue from the paintings as no exhibitions at Frere Hall are ticketed. They had even advertised in newspapers to locate the artist but received no response. Despite several attempts to contact Saifi, he did not come to collect the paintings until recently.