ISLAMABAD: Sadequain the artist, calligrapher, poet and thinker, who passed away at the age of 57 in 1987, is returning back to Islamabad through his monumental and legendary works.This event is being jointly organised on 25 November (Thursday) by Gallery 6 in collaboration with Sadequain Foundation (SF) based in San Diego, California, USA. Gallery 6 has specially invited SF to launch two new books on Sadequain and exhibit collection of legendary calligraphies and other monumental illustrations and interpretations of poetry by Sadequain. An exhibition of 24 limited edition of oil on canvas giclee prints will also be a part of exhibition at the gallery.
These giclee prints have been made in the USA and are high quality reproductions of the Master’s works including those that were painted by Sadequain while living in foreign countries and have never been seen or documented in Pakistan or elsewhere before. These giclee prints will be offered for sale at very reasonable price in pursuance of the Charter of the Foundation. All pieces of artwork offered by the SF are registered and copyright protected by the United States Library of Congress and they carry the Foundation’s seal, serial number and date.Sadequain was responsible for the renaissance of Islamic Calligraphy in Pakistan by transforming the art of calligraphy into eye-catching pictorial images that translated the meaning of the script for even those who could not read. After Sadequain transformed the art of calligraphy into a mainstream art form, most of the known Pakistani artists have followed Sadequain and calligraphic art has now become a vibrant part of the art scene.
The book The Legend of Sadequain – Renaissance of Calligraphic Art in Pakistan is the first of its kind about Sadequain’s calligraphic art, presents biographical notes and a collection of over 160 calligraphic paintings by the legendary artist, including the picturesque verse, Sura-e-Rehman, referred to as the adornment of Quran.The second book Mystic Expressions by Sadequain – an odyssey to exaltation with Ghalib, Iqbal, Faiz and Sadequain has illustrations/interpretations of poetry by the artist. The illustrations of Ghalib were done in 1968, of Faiz during the 1970s and 80s and of Iqbal during the 1980s. Sadequain was deeply interested in the issues that have challenged the best minds of the human race – the questions about the mysteries of the universe, meaning of life on our planet and beyond, role of human beings in the universe, freedom and self determination, survival and progress, and the fine line between reason and emotion – even in his poetry he deals with such issues.The two books to be launched present a rich collection to document the related works of Sadequain – Dailytimes
