Abdul Karim Solangi (born 1943) is a Pakistani

artist An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse refers to a practitioner in the visual arts only. However, th ...

known for his work in kinetic sculpture in Pakistan. His sculptures, made from recycled fabric, wastepaper, and plaster, depict village life in

Sindh Sindh (; ; ur, , ; historically romanized as Sind) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the southeastern region of the country, Sindh is the third-largest province of Pakistan by land area and the second-largest province ...

Career

Solangi's interest in art began in his youth, influenced by his family's connection to Sindhi culture and heritage. In 1985, he created a kinetic sculpture depicting a blacksmith and an apprentice. While working in the Sindh education sector, Solangi travelled throughout the province, learning about the culture. This led him to produce artworks, some of which include representations of figures such as Sufi singer

Allan Fakir Allan Fakir (1932– 4 July 2000) ( Sindhi: ''علڻ فقيرُ'', Urdu: ''علن فقیر''), was a Pakistani folk singer. He was particularly known for his ecstatic style of performance, marked with extreme devotional rhetoric and Sufi dance-si ...

, folk vocalist Jalal Chandio, and musician Misri Khan Jamali. As of 2021, Solangi worked out of his one-room City Museum in

Lyari Lyari (Urdu: ; sd, لیاري) is a historic locality in Karachi, Pakistan. It is the most densely-populated part of Karachi, and is one of its earliest settled areas.Sarwat Viqar (2014) Constructing Lyari: place, governance and identity in a Kar ...

's Moosa Lane, which functioned as both his residence and workspace. The museum, open to the public, contains over 20 of his artworks.

Recognition

Solangi received the Presidential Pride of Performance Award in 2015. His work has been exhibited at the Karachi Expo Centre and the

Pakistan Arts Council The Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi is a council for the promotion of arts and culture in Pakistan, and one of the busiest in terms of organizing events. It is the country's oldest NGO (non-government organization) for the promotion and develo ...

References

Living people Pakistani artists Recipients of the Pride of Performance People from Lyari Town 1943 births {{Pakistan-artist-stub