The greatest asceticism is observation, says Farooqi

Book featuring artist’s work launched

LAHORE: Zulfi’s Art Gallery brimmed with art aficionados on Tuesday after The Rhythm of Life—an exhibition featuring the work of acclaimed artist Shafique Farooqi—commenced at the establishment.

The exhibition’s inauguration by cultural icon Yusuf Sallahuddin was followed by the launch of Farooqi’s The Tale of Drunken Flute in Whirling Dervishes. The book features 135 paintings of whirling dervishes. Of these, 41 are being displayed at the gallery.



“It is a rather difficult task for an artist to explain his work. I have never seen someone ask a poet to elucidate on his poetry,” Farooqi told The Express Tribune. The artist, who graduated from the Istanbul Technical University with a masters in fine arts in 1997 said artists were commonly given the darjah of being between humans and angels in Turkey. “I did everything an artist does to learn techniques in the beginning. During my time in Istanbul, my studio was situated close to the biggest sema khana, the residence of whirling dervishes, in the city,” he said. Farooqi said the performances there had inspired him to research and paint them.

“The greatest asceticism for an artist is observation,” he said. Farooqi said an artist had to conceive an idea and transform it into his inner vision and intuition to create something. “After I had been studying whirling dervishes from close quarters for some time, they told me that there comes a stage when they feel they are moving towards the Almighty while dancing,” he said.  Farooqi said he had attempted to portray this concept in his paintings by showing them elevated from the ground. He said his work reflected his personal experiences and his knowledge of Sufism.

“Farooqi’s work is phenomenal and inspiring. Sufism is something close to my heart. Many of our compatriots also believe in this brand of Islam,” Sallahuddin said. He said Rumi’s explanation of the twirling of the whirling dervishes was so profound that it had even inspired poet-philosopher Allama Iqbal.  He said the twirling of whirling dervishes dated back to Umar’s (RA) joy at being informed how happy Allah was with him for donating whatever little he had to the destitute by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in Medina.



Artist and gallery proprietor Zulfiqar Ali Zulfi heaped praise on Farooqi. “An artist’s journey is prolix. The texture created in his new works brings air and depth to the movements of the Dervishes” he said.

Zulfi said the colour compositions in the paintings displayed were markedly different from his earlier work. The exhibition will conclude on November 25.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 13^th, 2015.