Here's The Story Of The Pakistani Painter Sadequain Who's Being Celebrated By Google

By Hurmat Riaz | 30 Jun, 2017

Syed Sadequain Ahmed Naqvi was an artistic genius born in Pakistan yet celebrated the least in his homeland. He is regarded as an amalgam of Picasso and Michelangelo of Pakistan as he was not just a painter, he was a calligrapher and mural artist as well.

 

On his 87th birthday, Google is honoring Picasso of the East, with a doodle and it’s all for the right reasons.

Via: Google

Sadequain interpreted the works of many renowned Asian poets including Faiz Ahmed Faiz but his heart is mostly reflected in Iqbal’s poetry. Everyone knows how intricately woven Iqbal’s poetry is and presenting in visuals is no easy task but Sadequain did it so eloquently that if someone doesn’t get his poetry, he’ll get a gist of it through Sadequain’s creations.

 

Here is Sadequain’s interpretation of Iqbal’s poem ‘Qalandar Ki Pehchan

In this painting, a human is shown spread over the universe and taking control of it.

Source: thesufi.com

 

Iqbal’s poem from Baal e Jibreel illustrated by Sadequain is another depiction of Sadequain’s grasp over Iqbal’s poetry.

Source: thesufi.com

 

Zameen by Allama Iqbal illustrated by Sadequain is another haunting display of human life’s reality.

Source: faisalbhatti.blogspot.com

 

Sadequain also put out his thoughts onto canvas on Mirza Ghalib’s poetry, another challenging poet of the East.

Source: thesufi.com

 

He was an expert in painting murals and many of Pakistan’s popular and historical structures have Sadequain’s murals in them.

If you ever get the chance to visit Lahore Museum, do look up at the ceiling because this is how it looks like:

Source: thesufi.com

 

State Bank of Pakistan was also honored by the maestro in 1961 when he painted this mural titled ‘Treasures of a Lifetime’ displaying famous poets of subcontinent’s history.

Source: pakistanpaedia.com

 

Pakistan’s largest mural which is 200 x 70 ft was also painted by Saddequain in 1967 in Mangla Dam’s plant and here’s just a portion of that mural titled ‘Saga of Labor’.

Source: peopleofpakistan.wordpress.com

 

The mural on Frere Hall’s ceiling in Karachi painted in 1968, titled ‘Arz-o-Samawat‘ is the most majestic one.

Fun fact: it’s unfinished as Sadequain died while he was painting it.

Source: tripadvisor.com

 

Here’s a closer look at the Frere Hall mural

Source: sadequainfoundation.com

 

Just look at it and be mesmerized by the power of the painter’s mind

Source: wikimedia.org

He also painted murals in India before partition.

Here’s one in Banaras Urdu University.

Source: siliconeer.com

 

And here’s one in National Geophysical Research Center, Hyderabad, Deccan.

Source: siliconeer.com

 

Pakistanis are also pretty happy about Google honoring our legendary artist.

Proud feels! :’)

Let’s remember our heroes more so we don’t have to be reminded of them by others’ doodles.

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