Khud-shabih: towards self-discovery and self-actualisation

Listen to article

Dear AR Chughtai Sb,

The world is familiar with Leonardo Di Vinci's approach towards "every work being an inevitable act in the autobiography of the artist". He believed that the artist is personified through his work. This makes a great aesthetic theory though, later, the ideals of the Industrial Revolution and mass production may have dampened the appeal of such a notion.

On the other hand, in the opening statement of your Khud-shabih, the beginning chapter of Maqalat-e Chughtai you have exquisitely claimed that the "Artist is born the day he paints himself." I understand that you consider 'self-discovery & self-actualisation' as key features to one's very existence, actuality and reality. Rumi too renders thoughts on self-realisation when he says "it is your light that lights the world."

Similarly, self-actualisation is about fulfillment and awareness. Allow me to mention Bulleh Shah who thinks of it in terms of abundance and scarcity at the same time and advises removing 'I' from the heart. In this sense, 'what I eat' or 'what I think' is not important but the vital question remains 'who am I?' Not with Bulleh Shah nor in the Eastern thought the question is fearful or frightening but it is intriguing and worthy of all the quests – material or immaterial, physical or metaphysical. You aim to initiate this quest by looking inward and recording the impressions on the canvas. What a delightful way to pursue knowledge and wisdom.

I would also like you to draw light on your idea of perseverance in art. You insist on persistent effort in polishing and improving one's skill without worrying about the final object. However, I believe you do not endorse the ideals of Western 'process art' movements where the action itself is defined as art. I like that you claim to be the custodian of Eastern aesthetic traditions acknowledging Persian and Mughal painting as your inspiration and point of departure. In this way, your works befit the true ideals of modern art. One which is open to innovation and invention but is deeply rooted in tradition.

Your work, indeed, is a product of conviction, patience and hard work and not just a consequence of networking. You admit that around the 1920s the centre of art in India had shifted to Calcutta. I wonder how and why Punjab got abandoned by the creative geniuses of the time. One reason that I find relevant is the strong resistance that Punjab showed against the British before its complete occupation and annexation in 1949.

I keenly await the day when the history of Punjab that is provided by the egocentric Britishers shall be rewritten. Researchers believe that after the second Anglo-Sikh War, 'offended Britishers' ripped Punjab off its historic legacy in art and literature. Apparently, during the siege of Multan (1948), the libraries at the Multan fort adjacent to the existing sufi tombs were put on fire that burnt for three consecutive years destroying precious books. The treasured manuscripts are said to have been accumulated in two Jamias, one at Multan and the other at Uchh, since the Hulegu Khan's violent expedition to Baghdad.

Also, Khawaja Abdul Samad, the Persian painter at the Emperor Akbar's atelier, spent three years in Multan. He has been recorded to be an active painter before and after his deputation in Multan. What exactly did he do at Multan other than overseeing the mint? Did his division of painters from the royal atelier move with him? Which manuscripts did he paint during his stay? History is silent here, except a bazar-e kaghzan near the old fort is reported to have survived even after the partition of India. A lot is missing from the popular historical narratives and then what is recorded is often misrepresented.

Lastly, I acknowledge your genetic sense of wanderlust; please excuse my slang but there is no better phrase that explains your impulsive travelling in the Punjab Hills documenting the artistic practices of the region and collecting the paintings that would have also been lost otherwise. Your collections and archives are well-kept in Chughtai Museum, Lahore and is a treat for art lovers, researchers and academics.

Bano

March, 2025