Jamil Naqsh ( ur, ), (25 December 1939 – 16 May 2019) was a

British Pakistani British Pakistanis ( ur, (Bratānia men maqīm pākstānī); also known as Pakistani British people or Pakistani Britons) are British people, citizens or residents of the United Kingdom whose ancestral roots lie in Pakistan. This includes ...

painter Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...

who lived a reclusive life in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

from 2012 until his death. He briefly studied at

National College of Arts The National College of Arts (colloquially known as NCA) is a public university located in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. Overview National College of Arts - A Federal Chartered Institute is the oldest art school in Pakistan and the second oldest i ...

but left before obtaining a degree. His work has been described as idealized and sensual.'Memories of Doves and Pigeons', Profile, awards and paintings of Jamil Naqsh on albemarlegallery.com website
Retrieved 31 August 2017
Retrieved 17 May 2019

Life

Jamil Naqsh was born in

Kairana Kairana is a city and a municipal board in Shamli district of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is approximately from Shamli city. Demographics As of 2011 Indian Census, Kairana had a total population of 89,000, of which 47,047 were male ...

, British P India in 1939, and later moved to

Karachi, Pakistan Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...

. In his early teens, he had the experience of travelling alone through

Chittagong Chittagong ( /ˈtʃɪt əˌɡɒŋ/ ''chit-uh-gong''; ctg, চিটাং; bn, চিটাগং), officially Chattogram ( bn, চট্টগ্রাম), is the second-largest city in Bangladesh after Dhaka and third largest city in B ...

Calcutta Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...

and

Colombo Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo me ...

. He learned a lot about life during that harsh journey. He also gained a great respect for the art traditions of the past while travelling. This journey's impressions later influenced his thinking and work. Naqsh trained as a

miniaturist A portrait miniature is a miniature portrait painting, usually executed in gouache, watercolor, or enamel. Portrait miniatures developed out of the techniques of the miniatures in illuminated manuscripts, and were popular among 16th-century eli ...

under former

professor Ustaad Haji Sharif in

Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...

beginning in 1953. He left the National College of Arts without completing his degree as he felt it was the experience not the qualification that was important. He left Pakistan in 2012 and settled in

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

. On 7 May 2019, due to pneumonia, Naqsh was admitted to St Mary’s Hospital in London, where he died nine days later at the age of 79.

Work

Naqsh mostly painted

pigeons Columbidae () is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They primarily ...

. He also painted women, often integrating them with the elements of horses, pigeons or children. He grew up seeing pigeons flutter around in his courtyard; thus, much of his work included drawings of pigeons.Jamil Naqsh: A treat for art lovers
''The Express Tribune'' (newspaper), Published 14 May 2012, Retrieved 17 May 2019 He set up his Karachi studio in a rooftop garden where pigeons were allowed to move around freely and were welcomed as visitors. Naqsh was influenced by the works of Indian, Pakistani and European masters, including

Pablo Picasso Pablo Ruiz Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist and Scenic design, theatre designer who spent most of his adult life in France. One of the most influential artists of the 20th ce ...

and

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres ( , ; 29 August 1780 – 14 January 1867) was a French Neoclassicism, Neoclassical Painting, painter. Ingres was profoundly influenced by past artistic traditions and aspired to become the guardian of academic ...

. In June 2012, an untitled piece by Naqsh was sold for about PKR 6.3 million at

Bonhams Bonhams is a privately owned international auction house and one of the world's oldest and largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. It was formed by the merger in November 2001 of Bonhams & Brooks and Phillips Son & Neale. This brought to ...

Art exhibits

Some of his exhibits are listed below: * Solo exhibit at

Lahore Arts Council Alhamra Arts Council (also known as the Alhamra Hall, Alhamra Cultural Complex, Alhamra Art Gallery and Lahore Arts Council Karachi 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 ...

(1962) * 150 paintings and drawings of female forms with horses were exhibited (1998) * ''Jamil Naqsh: A Retrospective'',

Mohatta Palace The Mohatta Palace ( ur, ) is a museum located in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. Designed by ''Muhammad komail Hussain'', the palace was built in 1927 in the posh seaside locale of Clifton as the summer home of Shivratan Mohatta, a Hindu Marwari bus ...

, Karachi, Pakistan (2003) * Solo exhibit at Studio Glass Art Gallery, London (2005) * Solo exhibit at Albemarle Gallery in

Mayfair Mayfair is an affluent area in the West End of London towards the eastern edge of Hyde Park, in the City of Westminster, between Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly and Park Lane. It is one of the most expensive districts in the world. ...

(2011)Pakistan's top contemporary artist holds solo show in London
Dawn (newspaper), Published 27 July 2011, Retrieved 17 May 2019 * Art exhibit in

included 23 canvases and 16 graphite drawings (2012) * "Mohenjo Daro" Albemarle Gallery, London (2018) * ''Fisher Woman of My Mohenjo-daro'' at Jamil Naqsh Museum in Karachi, Pakistan (2018) Naqsh also painted

Islamic calligraphy Islamic calligraphy is the artistic practice of handwriting and calligraphy, in the languages which use Arabic alphabet or the alphabets derived from it. It includes Arabic, Persian, Ottoman, and Urdu calligraphy.Chapman, Caroline (2012). '' ...

in his modern style with unique and bold brush strokes. His calligraphic style maintained the basic elements of art, with special emphasis on 'line'. Since 1996, the Jamil Naqsh Foundation and Museum have been run by his family members in

Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...

, Pakistan. In December 2017, the Jamil Naqsh Museum was inaugurated by

Aitzaz Ahsan Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan ( ur, ; born 27 September 1945) is a Pakistani politician and lawyer. He served two times as the Leader of the House in the Senate of Pakistan from 1994 to 1997 and again from 2012 to 2015. He also served as the Leader o ...

Defence Housing Authority, Karachi The Defence Housing Authority (DHA), Karachi ( ur, ), formerly Pakistan Defence Officers Cooperative Housing Society, is a residential neighbourhood or a housing society located within Clifton Cantonment of Karachi. It was originally establishe ...

Awards and recognition

Sitara-i-Imtiaz The Sitara-e-Imtiaz () also spelled as Sitara-i-Imtiaz, is the third-highest (in the order of "Imtiaz") honour and civilian award in the State of Pakistan. It recognizes individuals who have made an "especially meritorious contribution to the ...

(Star of Excellence) Award in 2009, from

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

Asif Ali Zardari Asif Ali Zardari ( ur, ; sd, ; born 26 July 1955) is a Pakistani politician who is the president of Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians and was the co-chairperson of Pakistan People's Party. He served as the 11th president of Pakistan ...

Pride of Performance The Pride of Performance ( ur, ), officially known as Presidential Pride of Performance, is an award bestowed by the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to recognize people with "notable achievements in the field of art, science, literature, sports, an ...

Award in 1989, from President

Ghulam Ishaq Khan Ghulam Ishaq Khan ( ur, غلام اسحاق خان; 20 January 1915 – 27 October 2006), was a Pakistani bureaucrat who served as the seventh president of Pakistan, elected in 1988 following Zia's death until his resignation in 1993. He wa ...

References

External links

Artist biography and works from exhibition in London viewable online

Jamil Naqsh graphite drawing on cliftonartgallery.com website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Naqsh, Jamil 1939 births 2019 deaths National College of Arts alumni Pakistani painters Muhajir people Artists from Karachi Recipients of the Pride of Performance Recipients of Sitara-i-Imtiaz Pakistani emigrants to the United Kingdom Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom