‘Mein Bhi Pakistan Hoon’ opens on March 24

Islamabad : An exhibition of paintings by Tahir Bilal Ummi titled, ‘Mein Bhi Pakistan Hoon’ will be inaugurated at Gallery 6 on March 24th at 5.30 p.m.

Tahir Bilal Ummi was born in Shahpur Saddar, a tehsil in Sargodha in 1990. His father was not only a poet but an artist too – earning his living through paintings on Iqbal’s poetry, on partition of 1947 and also doing truck art. He became Ummi's role model from early childhood, leading to immense interest in painting. But Ummi faced an unexpected jolt at the age of 8 years, when his father died due to a sudden massive heart attack leaving behind a widow, three daughters and three sons.

Financial conditions forced Ummi to give up his education after completing 5th grade and to start working as a labourer at the age of 12 years. However, his love for art continued and in his free time he took instructions from Tariq Mehmood, an artist colleague of his father.

Eleven years back, Ummi moved to Talagang, a picturesque tehsil of district Chakwal. This inspired him to paint landscapes and he began painting regularly. Whatever money he could save after meeting family expenses, he would spend on buying paints and canvases. In 2018, he met artist Ajab Khan who provided further guidance.