A.Q. Arif

Shaista is a self-taught artist who believes that an artist draws inspiration from beauty in human form and from expressions. Her canvases encapsulate women, nature’s most beautiful and complete creation and encaptures their great strength in tolerating pain with a smile. The pigeons or musical instruments such as a flute or sitar in her painting are symbolic of freedom of speech and a woman’s desire to be free. The jewelry on the women while giving the deception of beauty are actually symbolic of chains and restrains, which restrict them from being free.

Samra is a talented calligraphy artist from Abbottabad, Pakistan. Her artworks depict a perfect harmony between nature and calligraphy. Different mediums allow her to express different ideas. The continuity of the letters in her artworks demonstrate a perfect rhythm that exists in traditional calligraphy blended with letters that a broken, distorted , reformed and recreated . The vibrancy of the colors on the surface blend with the calligraphy in perfect harmony and by looking at her artworks one can almost listen to the words

Mashkoor was born in 1948 in Moradabad, India, after which his family migrated to Pakistan. He attended the reputed Karachi School of Art (KSA) and graduated in 1972 with a gold medal. He was a renowned artist worldwide and demonstrated versatility in his style working in abstract, figurative or calligraphy. His distinct style with images appearing through the layers won him great acclaim. The artist sadly passed away February 2025.

Born in Karachi, Salman Farooqi graduated with distinction from the Karachi School of Art. He also studied under Iqbal Mehdi, a senior, renowned Pakistani artist. Salman’s artworks radiate refreshing colors and forms, which are organized on the canvas in spontaneously created geometric configurations with smooth textured lines overlapping and traversing the canvas with ease. His canvases are balanced and eye-catching with rich color palettes and bold compositions, which are aesthetically pleasing. Salman’s works of landscapes focus on impressionism and this technique has gained him acclaim and worldwide recognition.