Salute to Sadequain on His 91st Birth Anniversary
Born on June 30th, 1930, Sadequain would have been 91 this year.
Art and culture, are the identity of a nation. By all measures, Sadequain was the finest ambassador of the nation’s identity.
Sadequain was a polymath, a confluence of Picasso, Michelangelo, Omar Khayyam, and calligrapher Yakoot. Likes of him are not born for centuries. His work was unique like none other, innovative, and by all measures, difficult to duplicate.
In his lifetime Sadequain’s talent was recognized and acknowledged on all 5 continents. Not many Pakistanis can make this claim. French newspaper Le Monde quoted “Sadequain’s multiplicity is reminiscent of Picasso.” UAE Newspaper Khaleej Times declared him responsible for the “renaissance of calligraphic art.”
Sadequain is perhaps the only individual who was recognized by the Pakistan government by establishing three institutions in his name, namely Galerie SADEQUAIN in Karachi, Galerie SADEQUAIN in Lahore, and Galerie SADEQUAIN in Islamabad. Not many Pakistanis can make this claim.
Sadequain is also the only Pakistani who has won all 4 awards in the field of arts namely, Nishan-e-Imtiaz, Sitara-e-Imtiaz, Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, and Pride of Performance by the government of Pakistan.
It is common knowledge that with a few exceptions of large commissioned artworks such as the gigantic mural at the Mangla Dam titled The Saga of Labor which was paid by the World Bank, Sadequain never sold his artworks. He gave them away to individuals and institutions with no strings attached. Sadequain’s artworks, like the saying goes, were worth more than thousand words and valued at more than a billion U$ dollars. It will not be an exaggeration to say that he gave more to the nation than any other man or woman. But he died penniless by his own choice.
Even a brief look at Sadequain’s palette speaks volumes of his monumental talent and touches our soul.
Sadequain’s compositions, whether simple or complex, perform magically with the complexity of a well-orchestrated symphony; they represent poetry of color, harmony of rhythm, and the power of a tempest.
Sadequain’s paintings classified as modern art, mirror his own words when he said, “People ask why I don't paint flowers, butterflies and landscapes. I tell them that I seek the truth and I am after reality. I am not inspired by someone posing against the backdrop of roses-in-a-vase or pink curtains. What inspires me is a person who has gone hungry for hours and is struggling for survival. The expression that lights his face at the end of the day when he has finally found some scraps, that is what touches me. I am a painter of the expression of reality.”
Sadequain believed that renouncing the seduction and eschewing the allurement of material entrapments can help levitate mankind to an exalted state. His wide array of paintings constitutes a singularly unique achievement by an artist at the highest level.
The sumptuous collection of his artworks represents Sadequain’s perceptions, in which he draws inspiration from the ancient wisdom of Sufi traditions, which for centuries have represented some of mankind’s purest instincts. As archetypal expressions of mystic vision, his imagery transcends our latent susceptibilities. They hold a beacon to the path of enlightenment, guide through the gateway of spiritual freedom, and provide a conduit to transpersonal truth.
As we gaze at the extraordinary oeuvre we are transported to the core of our subliminal state. This visual journey through a blissful odyssey is an unadulterated experience of heightened awareness, as our senses process these mystic images and nurture our experiences for a meaningful life. His palette reflects various states of self-realization and consciousness. When we are not in control of our intrinsic potentialities, they may stray off the course. But if we reach down and attain awareness of our innermost sentiments, they manifest themselves in rapturous passion.
In the end, Sadequain answers the question: what is the relationship between the arts and life? This is a question that scholars seek to answer relentlessly. This relationship is the basic human instinct to achieve harmony, balance, and rhythm through universal communication. Man’s communication with each other and with the environment lies at the core of all endeavors in arts and literature, and all artistic endeavors are a reflection of the truth about life. If we postulate that life has a purpose, which is to perpetually seek knowledge, development of self, and paving the path of creative pursuits in the service of mankind, then all arts and literature must serve this goal in one way or another. Therefore, art and life cannot be divorced from each other.
Established in 2007, SADEQUAIN Foundation is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to discovering, preserving, and promoting Sadequain’s art globally. To that end, the Foundation has published 24 books on Sadequain’s life and work, and curated more than 80 seminars and exhibitions around the globe.
Dr. Salman Ahmad is an electrical engineer by profession. He spent more than thirty years working on nuclear missile technology in senior executive positions in the United States and was the founder and president of an electronics communications company for seven years. He founded the SADEQUAIN Foundation in June 2007 to catalog Sadequain’s work and introduce it to the world. He has authored 24 books on Sadequain.
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