Ali Abbas

A painter, an art restorer, art scholar, film maker, art photographer, TV anchor, Founder President of The Visual and Performing Arts Forum Pakistan (NGO), Ashkal is an adept and highly gifted artist. His mentor, Iqbal Mehdi left a lasting impression on him and encouraged Ashkal to explore figurative art. His artworks exhibit straight lines and angles in figurative forms and intelligent use of vibrant colors blended in soft hues.

A.Q. Arif is a distinguished Pakistani artist who effortlessly blends historical monuments, Islamic and Mughal era architecture, nature, landscapes, and human figures into breathtaking artworks. His paintings encapsulate earthy tones in the shades of dusk, the night sky and moonlight. Arif’s work explores a world, which blends reality and fantasy in perfect harmony. The artist’s seamless transition from watercolors and ink on paper to oil on canvas highlights his exceptional talent.

Raja Changez is a poet and an artist international repute, hailing from Shakarparian, Islamabad, Pakistan. He received his MFA Degree in Creative writing and an MSc in Journalism both from Colombia University, New York, USA. In addition he also holds an honorary Doctorate in the Arts conferred on him by Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut, USA. He has also served as the Director General of the Pakistan National Council of the Arts. Raja Changez’s work encapsulates the interrelation of diverse forces with human beings, nature and the environment. His figurative paintings in a mist like revelation reflect his belief in the amorphousness of life where finite lines rarely exist. His Divided Self, series and Himalayan Odyssey is renowned worldwide.

Manto is a modern artist who uses horses, dervish and human figures as his subjects. The blend of thick and thin lines over his choice of subjects draws in the viewer’s attention. The large size of his canvases brings his ideas to reality. Farhan Manto is one of the top 5 upcoming artists from Pakistan.