Remembering the legend artist Sadequain

To commemorate the 25th death anniversary of legend artist of the sub-continent, Sadequain (June, 1930- February 10, 1987), a book titled ‘The Saga of Sadequain’ containing biography of the artist, and collection of art works, exhibitions and permanent display in a number of art galleries across the world, was launched on Sunday here at a local hotel.
Organised by Sadequain Foundation (SF), USA, and Gallery6 the book launch was attended by a large number of art lovers from twin cities. Sadequain’s nephew Salman Ahmed, gallery6 curator Dr Arjumand Faisel and a number of diplomats attended and spoke on the occasion.
About The Saga of Sadequain, Volume I (Biography): The Saga of Sadequain, a two-volumes-in-a-hard-case book represents five years of exhaustive research on Sadequain’s life and to locate Sadequain’s work scattered around the world. The two volumes of the book, over 800 pages, over 500 pieces of artwork – many done while Sadequain was residing overseas – coffee table magnum opus is the crown jewel among more than one dozen books published, or to be published in future, by the SADEQUAIN Foundation.
Biography is based upon statements of fact about Sadequain’s life and work and a window to his private self, perhaps in a manner that has not been presented before. The Volume II is a collection of over 500 pieces of artwork, a good number of them done while Sadequain resided in Paris, France.
Biography provides factual material that may influence a reader’s bias or alter his perceptions about Sadequain and his work. The focus of this volume is on the anecdotes, facts, impressions, lifestyle, and personal experiences based upon intimate knowledge about Sadequain and his life. It is an attempt to explore his life from childhood, through the adolescence years, his emergence as a young artist and then his meteoric rise to stardom, tracing his journey through the maze of trials and tribulations until the final episode under the monumental ceiling mural at the Frere Hall. He died before he could finish the stupendous ceiling mural, a sign of exclamation, a divine gesture, and a reminder that Sadequain is not finished yet.
Most of the source material of this volume is based on personal experiences, family stories, newspaper and magazine articles and interviews with artists, writers, art historians and critics, and most importantly, five of Sadequain’s own manuscripts detailing his early life, his views on Indian Art, his travel log, his letters, and his prologue to the collection of his rubaiyyat.
This book is a humble attempt by the Sadequain Foundation (SF) to preserve Sadequain’s legacy for generations to come.
About The Saga of Sadequain, Volume II. (Galerie):
This book is also a cry for help. The Saga of Sadequain is an SOS signal; it is a distress call, a Mayday if you will. You see, Sadequain unwittingly gave away, or in many instances, simply lost a vast majority of his work. He presumed, in most cases, that if he gave away his work, it would somehow preserve his legacy. Now we know his assumption bordered on misplaced trust. As a result, no catalog exists that preserves even a fraction of his work.
It is hoped that this book provides a collection of Sadequain’s work that has mostly remained unknown to the world so far, and allows the reader to glance at a sample of the most extraordinary pieces of artwork produced by Sadequain in a burst of creative ecstasy over his lifetime.
Earlier, remembering Sadequain on his 25th death anniversary, the National Art Gallery (NAG) of Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) dedicated one of its galleries (Gallery No.9) solely to the works of the genius of the century.
The objective is to keep the works on permanent display in NAG Gallery No 9 for the viewers and let younger generation derive inspiration and explore new dimensions in Sadequain’s philosophical renderings, Musarrat Nahid Imam, director visual art division (VAD) while talking to this scribe said.
The gallery was formally inaugurated by Fareedullah Khan, Federal Secretary National Heritage and Integration.
While sharing his views with media, he appreciated PNCA’s initiative to celebrate and acknowledge the contribution of its heroes. He paid rich tribute to Sadequain for being a painter of eminence, a calligrapher, a poet, philosopher and a social critic. “PNCA officials are doing great in the promotion of country’s soft image across abroad,” he said.
Fareedullah Khan on the occasion stressed PNCA to expand its cultural horizon to other cities of the country so that the youth must be acquainted about the legend artists and their works to get encouragement and to follow in their footsteps. “PNCA is not the property of Islamabad and it should promote art, culture and its activities across the country,” he said quoting former chairman CDA Kamran Lashari.
The Secretary admired Sadequain’s large murals done on the poetry of Iqbal, Ghalib and Faiz, besides his own concepts focusing on humanity and social issues. “Sadequain had been very vocal about the social evils plaguing our society,” he maintained.
Both the publications “The Holy Sinner” and “Mystic Expressions by Sadequain” are representing a huge chunk from the NAG collection.