KARACHI – Jimmy Engineer was born in 1954 in Loralai in a Parsi family. He grew up to break all barriers of caste and creed, and truly define multi-ethnicity through his art and altruism. He spent three years at the National College of Arts in Lahore, expanding his creative prowess. In 1976, he turned into a professional painter, but his achievements went beyond his creativity when he discovered a deep love for all human beings, especially for the downtrodden. His art pieces soon became expressions of truth, and his images began to speak of his compassion for the people with whom he comes into contact. Although he is an artist by profession, his life has revolved around supporting troubled individuals as well as social work institutions.
His artistic performance has been acclaimed internationally, particularly his series on canvas that depicts the Muslim toil in the wake of Pakistan’s independence. The minute details, the layered imagery and the fine lines illustrating the transition of humans into tragic victims equal the skill applied by the great masters. He is widely known as Pakistan’s untiring crusader of the oppressed, disabled, mentally handicapped and impoverished. He has the ability to communicate with people from all walks of life. He holds a special standing among Pakistan’s philanthropists as he has undertaken long, arduous journeys on foot to create awareness for many human rights issues.
As for his paintings, he has mastered many mediums, from realism to calligraphy. He has explored and introduced numerous textures in his works, and the amazing versatility is more than evident in his creations. His collection includes iniatures and self-portraits, many of which are in private collections in Italy, France, Switzerland, Russia, India, China, England, and the USA, validating his status as an international artist. However, for him, Pakistan is the only identity he wishes for as he continues to work towards merging all cultures for the common good of his soil. Though he already has over 2,000 paintings and more than 1,000 calligraphies to his name, besides the 20,000 or so prints in private collections, selling his work is not why he paints.
Just like his art, he simply aspires to spread his love for the people wherever he goes, and is ceaselessly pursuing the course of charity as his heart is sold to humanity for the rest of his life. Photos courtesy Jimmy Engineer
