Sadequain facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sadequain Naqqash
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The artist
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| Born |
Syed Sadequain Ahmed Naqvi
30 June 1930 |
| Died | 10 February 1987 (aged 56) Karachi, Pakistan
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| Resting place | Sakhi Hassan Cemetery, Karachi |
| Nationality | Pakistani |
| Known for | Calligraphy, Painting, Murals, Poetry |
| Movement | Islamic calligraphy; Hurufiyya movement |
Syed Sadequain Ahmed Naqvi (Urdu: سیّد صادِقَین احمد نقوی) (30 June 1930 – 10 February 1987), known as Sadequain Naqqash, was a famous Pakistani artist. He was especially good at calligraphy (beautiful writing) and painting. Many people think he was one of the best artists Pakistan has ever had. Sadequain was also a poet. He wrote many poems called rubāʿiyāt, similar to the style of Omar Khayyam.
Contents
Early Life
Sadequain was born on June 30, 1930, in Amroha, a town in India. His family had many calligraphers. In the late 1940s, he joined a group of writers and artists who wanted to make art that showed real life. A very important person named Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy helped Sadequain become well-known. Sadequain also spent some time in Paris to improve his art skills.
What Kind of Art Did Sadequain Make?
Sadequain was famous for his unique art. He worked in different styles, including calligraphy, painting, and large murals. He also wrote poetry.
Calligraphy: Beautiful Writing
Sadequain was highly praised for his special way of writing. His calligraphic style is seen as very important in South Asian art.
He was part of a movement called the Hurufiyya movement. This was when artists in Islamic countries started mixing traditional calligraphy with modern art. They wanted to create new art that showed their own culture, not just Western styles. Sadequain was a leader in this movement in Pakistan. He helped make calligraphy a major art form.
Sadequain used his art to show poems by famous writers like Ghalib, Iqbal, and Faiz. He believed in showing real life in his art, but with a poetic touch. He also drew pictures for a book by the French writer Albert Camus. Sadequain gave away thousands of his drawings to people who admired his work.
He was a very busy artist after Pakistan became independent in 1947. He often said he wasn't interested in decorating rich people's homes. Instead, he painted large murals for public buildings. He wanted his art to be for everyone.
Murals: Big Wall Paintings
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Sadequain was a master at painting huge murals. These large paintings often showed people's endless journey to find their hidden talents. His murals are full of images that tell a deep story.
Some of his famous murals can be found in:
- The State Bank of Pakistan
- The Power House at the Mangla Dam
- Lahore Museum, Lahore
- Aligarh Muslim University
- Banaras Hindu University
- Geological Institute of India
- Frere Hall Karachi
- Powerhouse at Abu Dhabi
- Punjab University Library
He painted his earliest murals in the 1950s at Jinnah Hospital and PIA headquarters. Sadly, these early works have disappeared.
In 1961, he painted a huge mural called "Treasures of Time" at the State Bank of Pakistan in Karachi. It showed how humans have grown intellectually from ancient times to modern days. This mural has been moved around and has some damage, but it's still a powerful piece.
Sadequain also painted the ceiling of the Lahore Museum entrance hall. This mural shows the "Evolution of Mankind." He also added nine large calligraphic panels for the Islamic Gallery. The government is now working to restore this important mural.
The Punjab University Library has his mural "Quest of Knowledge." It shows young people holding the key to learning. This mural is in good condition.
One of his last works was the ceiling of Frere Hall in Karachi. It shows "Earth and the Heavens." Sadequain died before he could finish it. He wanted this mural to be a treasure for the people of Karachi. However, due to security, people cannot easily see it, and the mural needs care.
The mural "Saga of Labor" at Mangla Dam honors working people everywhere. It hangs in the powerhouse and has survived tough conditions.
Sadequain painted many other murals, but some of them are now lost. For example, a mural for the Naval Headquarters cannot be found. Another one for PIA's office in Paris is also gone.
Sadequain painted thousands of artworks in his life. He rarely sold his work. He mostly gave it away to friends and admirers. Sometimes, his art was even stolen. Two galleries were named after him during his lifetime, but they no longer exist.
Rubaiyat: His Poetry
Sadequain came from Amroha, a town known for scholars and poets. His family had a long history with poetry and calligraphy. He grew up with a deep appreciation for art and history. By the time he was 18, he had written over 400 poems and drawn many sketches.
Sadequain was gifted in painting, calligraphy, and poetry. He combined these three talents with his deep philosophical thoughts. He believed he brought together the skills of poet Omar Khayyam, calligrapher Yaqoot, and painter Mani.
In 1969 and 1970, Sadequain focused on writing and illustrating hundreds of rubaiyyat (four-line poems). He saw this as a huge achievement by one person. He published four books of his rubaiyyat. One of them, "Rubaiyyat-e-Sadequain Naqqash," had over two hundred drawings.
Speaker of Truth
Sadequain once said he painted what was real. He was inspired by people struggling for survival, not by pretty flowers. He called himself a "Faqir" (a simple, spiritual person). He wanted to show the truth and reality in his art.
He painted abstract art, drawings, and sketches on many different materials.
Islamic Calligraphy: A New Beginning
Sadequain was key to bringing Islamic calligraphy back to life in Pakistan. He helped turn calligraphy into a serious art form. He felt that his talent for calligraphy came from a divine source. He didn't just follow old rules; he created his own unique style. His letters seemed to move and tell stories, especially when he used words from the Quran.
Before Sadequain, calligraphy was not seen as a major art form in Pakistan. After he showed its power, many other Pakistani artists followed his lead. Calligraphic art is now very popular.
A True Artist
In the 1960s, French officials asked Sadequain to illustrate the famous novel "The Stranger" by Albert Camus. Sadequain also painted pictures for the poetry of Ghalib, Iqbal, and Faiz. He wrote thousands of his own poems, which talked about human nature and society.
His large murals show human struggle and achievements. They are full of action and ideas, telling a story about their theme. One of his most powerful murals is "The Saga of Labor" at Mangla Dam. It's huge, measuring 200 by 30 feet. He finished it in just three months! It honors working people throughout history.
Sadequain used strong symbols and colors in his art. He often created a series of paintings on one theme. For example, he used the image of a cactus to show hard work and strength. He saw wild cactus growing in the desert, surviving in harsh conditions. This inspired him to show how people can overcome difficulties.
He also created series of drawings like "Cobweb Series" and "Crow Series." These showed his thoughts on society. The "Cobweb Series" showed society trapped and unable to move. The "Crow Series" showed people losing their self-respect.
Sadequain also celebrated the hard work of ordinary people. He showed them developing land, making scientific discoveries, and exploring the universe. He sometimes used Kufic script (an old Arabic writing style) to form human shapes in his art. One of his famous works, "The Last Supper," won an award in France. He won many awards in Pakistan and other countries, but he rarely attended ceremonies or took the prize money.
Sadequain had a great knowledge of literature. His poems are highly praised by literary experts. Like his paintings, his poems also talk about human nature and society's strengths and weaknesses.
He exhibited his art all over the world. Many of his exhibitions were sponsored by governments. He gave away most of his paintings to friends and even strangers. He saw these as gifts to the people.
There have been many documentaries and books about Sadequain. "The Holy Sinner" is a large book published in 2003. It shows many of his paintings and includes articles about him. This book is one of the biggest ever published in Pakistan.
Key Works by Sadequain
Here are some of Sadequain's important works and events:
- 1955 – Mural at Jinnah Hospital, exhibitions at Frere Hall
- 1963 – Exhibitions in the US
- 1964–65 – Illustrations for "L'Étranger" by Albert Camus
- 1967 – Mural at Mangla Dam
- 1968 – Mural at Punjab University Library
- 1969 – Calligraphy of Sura-e-Rehman (a chapter from the Quran)
- 1969 – "Crucifixion" series – one painting from this series sold for a high price at an auction in 2017.
- 1970 – One-man art show
- 1970 – Published a collection of his rubaiyyat (poems), which won a top prize.
- 1973 – Murals in Lahore Museum
- 1974 – Exhibitions in the Middle East and Eastern Europe
- 1976 – Mural at National Bank of Pakistan, Lahore
- 1976 – TV series "Mojiza-e-Fun" about his work
- 1977 – Illustrations of classical Urdu poetry by Ghalib, Iqbal, and Faiz.
- 1979 – Mural in Abu Dhabi
- 1981 – Tour of India, painting murals in Aligarh, Banaras, Hyderabad, and Delhi.
- 1985 – Illustrated works by Faiz Ahmad Faiz
- 1986 – Mural at Frere Hall
His Legacy
The huge book "The Holy Sinner: Sadequain" celebrates his amazing art. It's part of a big project by the Mohatta Palace Museum to honor him. The book has about 700 pages and weighs 12 kg. It shows around 400 of his artworks and includes writings by art critics and journalists.
The book covers different themes in his paintings, like "A stranger in paradise" and "Endless purgatory." It also includes poems by Ghalib, Iqbal, and Faiz.
The book is based on a famous exhibition of Sadequain's paintings called "The Holy Sinner: Sadequain." This exhibition was the biggest and longest-running art show in Pakistan's history. It featured over 200 of his non-calligraphic works and was open for about a year. More than 90,000 people visited it.
Sadequain was a self-taught artist who created a mysterious and unique style. His special way of painting and calligraphy was known as "Khat-e-Sadequain." He developed this style while staying in a desert area near Karachi called Gadani. There, he saw wild cactus growing in harsh conditions. The strong, defiant cactus became a powerful symbol in his art, showing struggle and triumph.
The exhibition was a rare chance to see his abstract paintings, as he didn't show them much later in his life. His large murals were also usually only seen in specific buildings.
Sadequain rarely sold his paintings to individuals. It's interesting that his work is often copied and sold by others today. There have even been news stories about thieves stealing only Sadequain's paintings from homes, showing how valuable his art is.
The book "The Holy Sinner: Sadequain" includes series like "Cacti series," "Sun series," and "Cobweb series." The "Cobweb series" was made during a difficult time in the 1960s. It shows people and buildings trapped by cobwebs, as if society was stuck.
The book also highlights his famous mural "The Treasures of Time" at the State Bank of Pakistan. This mural shows the history of great thinkers, scientists, and artists. It was a turning point in Sadequain's own artistic journey.
Lost Paintings
During his lifetime, two art galleries were named after Sadequain. One was in Islamabad and the other in Frere Hall in Karachi. After he died, the Islamabad gallery was taken apart, and about 200 paintings went missing. The Frere Hall gallery is now closed. Also, 40 large calligraphic panels on marble slabs have disappeared.
When Sadequain died, some of his paintings were stolen from Frere Hall. These stolen paintings sometimes appear for sale. A large painting by Sadequain at the PIA Mid Way House hotel also disappeared after the hotel was sold.
Auction History
Sadequain's paintings have been sold for high prices at international auctions:
- In 2014, his painting 'Imagination' sold for £60,000 (around $80,000 USD).
- In 2015, his painting 'Qalandar' sold for $173,000.
- In 2017, his painting 'Crucifixion' set a record for Pakistani art, selling for £118,750 (around $150,000 USD).
Death
Sadequain passed away on February 10, 1987, in Karachi, Pakistan. He was 57 years old. He is buried in the Sakhi Hassan graveyard in Karachi.
Awards and Recognition
Sadequain received many important awards for his contributions to art:
- 1960 – Government of Pakistan – Tamgha-e-Imtiaz (Medal of Excellence)
- 1961 – Government of France – Biennale de Paris Award
- 1962 – President of Pakistan – Pride of Performance Award
- 1975 – Government of Australia – "Cultural Award"
- 1980 – Government of Pakistan – Sitara-e-Imtiaz (Star of Excellence)
- 2000 – Sadequain Institute of Arts & Information Technology was created.
- 2021 – Government of Pakistan – Posthumous Nishan-i-Imtiaz (Order of Excellence), the highest civil award.
Commemorative Stamp
On August 14, 2006, Pakistan Post issued a special stamp to honor 10 Pakistani painters, including Sadequain.
Images for kids
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Sketch Sadequain with Muhammad Ali Jinnah, by Sadequain, on display at Frere Hall
See also
- Shafiq-Uz-Zaman Khan
