Legendary artist’s display continues to allure visitors

Islamabad

Known for classical landscapes, life-size figurative paintings and philosophical renderings, legendary artist Ustad Allah Baksh’s master strokes continue to allure art lovers through permanent display at the National Art Gallery of Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA).

The National Art Gallery has acquired a rich collection of over 20 of his works representing landscapes folk tales and scenes from rural dwellings drawings in varied mediums and offers an exclusive display of his works for his fans art lovers and students.

The works of very well known early modern artist and painter of Pakistan are even popular today for his depictions of rural life in the country and for subjects from Hindu and Persian mythology.

Whenever Pakistan s folk culture and life is discussed Ustad Allah Baksh’s works seem prominent.

Those visiting the display at National Art Gallery proud to have this collection with them today but still the art lovers seem waiting for update of Ustad Allah Baksh s works.

Talking to APP, PNCA Director Visual Arts Mussarat Naheed Imam says that NAG protects the collection of all the displays from the climatic change and wants to promote the value of this national treasure at global level.

Art critics remember him as a man who immortalized the rural life of Punjab where he was born in 1885. The work on display is full of colour life and people that compel the viewers to stop and analyze the masterly skills.

In his childhood Ustad Allah Baksh found Master Abdullah  a master of miniature as his mentor and till the age of 14 Ustad Allah Baksh was an artist of his own style.

He also learnt some skills of painting from Master Meeran Bakhsh Naqash a teacher and painter.

Before partition Allah Baksh painted characters of Hindu mythology and participated in art exhibitions at Bombay and Calcutta and received appreciation for depicting the unique and rich heritage.

After partition Allah Baksh kept his life busy in painting the exquisite landscape of Punjab the way of living of its people and the rural life that remained on his mind since childhood.

The rich and expressive paintings portray groups of people and if seen closely each portion of figurative style gives a different mood and expression.

His most popular masterpieces include ‘Sohni Mahiwal,’ ‘Heer Ranjha,’ ‘Sohni Dharti,’ ‘Talism-e-Hosh Ruba’ (The Spell that Steals the Senses) A Typical Village, Day Starter ,Rural Women in Daily Routine, Old Man Sahelian and many other festivities and rural scenes of Punjab.

The art treasure of Ustad Allah Baksh is preserved at the National art gallery as a tribute to one of the great master painters of Pakistan and Indo Pak subcontinent.

He was also awarded the prestigious Presidents medal for Pride of Performance for his unique artwork and services in the field of art that projected the indigenous folk heritage while Pakistan Post also acknowledged Ustad Allah Bakhsh through printing a set of stamps to honour the great painter of Pakistan in 1991. Naheed termed the unique artwork of Ustad Allah Bakhsh as national heritage.

His name will be remembered for the great service he did to paint and preserve the cultural heritage and it is also a great source of teaching and guiding the coming generations of painters to know about the masterly skills of painting the heritage she said.