Pakistan Art Chronicles: new chapter in art documentation

Dear Dr Mussarat Hassan,

I am writing to mark the launch of Pakistan Art Chronicles and to celebrate a major step forward in documenting and understanding art in Pakistan. This project fulfills your long-held dream, brought to life through the collective effort of the National Artists Association of Pakistan and a dedicated team of volunteers. Pakistan's first and largest artist database, with digitised artworks, publications and archives, is more than a technological feat. It is a vital intervention in how we remember, research and write our art history.

We speak often of the importance of art, but preserving the material that enables its study is equally crucial. Without these, histories fragment; with them, research and scholarship thrive, giving us a better understanding of life. For decades, Pakistani art history was scattered across collections, archives and studios - much of it hard to access and at risk of being lost. This digital platform brings these resources together, offering artists, scholars and future generations an invaluable resource.

An organised record of artists across Pakistan's regions and generations lays the foundation for new scholarship and connections that might otherwise remain hidden. When these records are preserved in an archive, they become more than a static collection - they transform into a pool of knowledge from which new histories emerge. It empowers scholars to uncover who worked outside major centres, which practices have faded from memory and what networks have connected artists, writers and institutions over time. Such questions matter as art history moves toward a genuinely global perspective.

Global art history is not just about adding Pakistani artists to existing canons; it means preserving and understanding local histories in context. Pakistan Art Chronicles is a vital step in that direction, consciously aligning with the ideals of decolonization - centring local narratives, challenging dominant narratives and striving for equitable representation.

Digitising art and archives makes what was once restricted now accessible to a wider community. Including publications strengthens this ecosystem and opens new perspectives on Pakistani art.

A deeper question emerges: whose voices enter history? Not all artists have had access to major institutions or resources to preserve their history; absence of documentation can be mistaken for absence of contribution. Archives can begin to address this imbalance.

Archives create space for marginalised histories and provide evidence for future scholars to reconsider overlooked practices. In this way, those often spoken about can also become part of the sources through which their histories are written.

I believe this is one of the most valuable aspects of your initiative. The significance of Pakistan Art Chronicles will grow with time. An archive is never finished; each artist, artwork and publication added creates new possibilities for research. This is not simply a database - it is an infrastructure for scholarship and a resource for the future of Pakistani art history.

International initiatives such as Asia Art Archive, Artstor, Getty Research Institute, MOMA, British Museum Online, Google Art & Culture and Europeana have set invaluable standards for accessibility and scholarship, enabling researchers and artists worldwide to engage with diverse cultural histories. I hope Pakistan Art Chronicles will not only meet these standards but also lead the way for similar efforts across the Global South, making our region's rich artistic narratives more visible and accessible than ever before.

With warmest regards,

Bano

September 2026

PS: The launch of Pakistan Art Chronicles is also an open invitation to artists, designers and scholars - both in Pakistan and the diaspora - to get listed and participate. Your involvement will help make the database richer, more authentic and truly representative of our diverse artistic community.