Sadequain’s death anniversary: Tribute to a legend

Works of 16 artists on display; two books launched.

The  Sadequain Foundation and Gallery 6 Islamabad organised an exhibition titled “Sadequain or mein” to commemorate Sadequain’s 28th death anniversary. As many as 16 artists have paid tribute to the legendary painter, while the launches of two books were also held.

“Lines and Drawings by Sadequain”, authored by Salman Ahmad, is a collection of more than 300 drawings by the artist. The compilation took four years to complete, in which the artists researched and discovered Sadequain’s work from America, Europe, India, Japan, Middle East, Pakistan, and Singapore, a press release issued by the gallery stated.

Drawings in the book display unity of disciplines of drawing, calligraphy as well as the traditions of Urdu and Persian poetry which Sadequain shared to his core. Most importantly, the drawings in this book show how Sadequain’s lines, whether complex or simple, performed magically with the complexity of a well-orchestrated symphony; they represent poetry of colour, harmony of rhythm, and the power of a tempest.



The other book, “Treasures of Time,” showcases the extraordinary body of murals, paintings, and metal-over-wood collages housed at Sadequain Gallery at the State Bank of Pakistan Museum in Karachi.

The 250-page-book is titled after the venerable mural Treasures of Time. In the mural, Sadequain paid tribute to 44 eminent historical personalities, starting from the glorious days of the Greek civilisation, followed by the European renaissance, then the golden age of Arabs, and at the other end, 20th century luminaries, completing a visual narration of intellectual history.

Discussing the theme of the exhibition, Dr Arjumand Faisel, curator of the show and owner of gallery, said that the idea of the using Sadequain’s work came from a wedding invitation. “One day, in the early 70s, he (Sadequain) presented me with text written on paper and asked me to use it for my wedding reception.  In 1982, I used this text for the occasion, but designed the card myself”.

“This collaborative work for my Valima card,” he said was incidentally done by Sadequain and him.

“I thought other artists can do work similarly by using Sadequain’s imagery or verses and interpret those in their own vocabulary, hence I floated this theme among leading artists and the outcome has been outstanding”.

Aasim Akhtar has used an audio recording of Sadequain and converted it into an interesting interview of the maestro, by him. Abdul Jabbar Gul presented a sculpture in admiration of the energy and dedication of Sadequain that the artist had for producing any artwork. Likewise, Wahab Jaffer has sent photograph of Sadequain’s visit to his first exhibition with its brochure and a letter from Sadequain addressed to him. The other 11 artists made paintings and drawings related to the theme.

This exhibition will continue till March 1.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 20^th, 2015.