Shaista Momin

Maqbool Ahmed is a graduate of the National College of Arts in Lahore. The artist is passionate in addressing women’s suppression and lack of expression in Asian society. His artworks depict voluptuous forms with unpainted facial features, which leaves the viewer to create his own visage for the figure thus leaving the viewer to unfold the hidden story depicted in the artwork. Maqbool’s artworks have been part of exhibitions in Malaysia, Canada and Dubai. His artistic philosophy is concisely expressed in his own words: “A painting cannot be translated into the words of any language”.

Abdullah Ali was born, brought up and continues to live in Punjab, Pakistan. He is a naturally gifted self taught artist who has proved that lack of formal education and art training is secondary to talent. He adapts traditional elements to contemporary tastes seamlessly paying careful attention to detail.

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.

Hailing from Karachi, Pakistan, Behzad is on the forefront of the younger generation of Pakistani artists. He transforms colors on the canvas into mesmerizing stances. The starkness of the red and black colors of his artworks command attention. He is the recipient of a gold medal in Fine Arts from the Arts Council of Pakistan in 2022.