Bashir Mirza
Encyclopedia
Bashir Mirza PP
, (1941, Amritsar
, British India - 2000) was a Pakistan
i painter
.
(NCA)), Lahore
, where he was one of the special favourites of the great Shakir Ali. He graduate in 1962 from the department of design and was amongst the first batch of graduates of the renamed school.
, he lived his life on his own terms. His razzle dazzle art career and free spirited persona did much to popularize art, for he propelled it out into the open daring the public to see it and to think.
He never stayed for long with one theme or style, fluctuating between realistic, abstract and non-objective styles. Strong emotion and symbolism typefied his work. In the '65 'War Series' he drew a number of 'Screams' directly onto the canvas pouring out his patriotic fervour well as his inner turmoil and turbulence. Though packing his work with explosive power he also exhibited considerable control over his medium, earning media coverage and stirring public interest. Another highlight of his artistic career was "Portfolio of Pakistan" produced in '67. Basically portraits of people of Pakistan from various provinces, they were sketched in Pen and Ink in a single tone. The structural strength and expressive quality of this work, it seems drew strong inspiration from Sadequain's ink drawings or figurative forms. Since it was not easy to survive on art alone in those days, B.M. looked out for new ventures of earning a living. He opened an art gallery
(the first ever in Karachi) at Kutchery Road in '65 but in '69 left town to go abroad. He also published an Art Journal 'Artistic Pakistan' but in '68 sold it off. 'Atelier BM' opened in the '70s. He was by then running an advertising agency
cum gallery and bounced back into art again in 1998.
He exhibited his provocative "Lonely girl series" in 1971 and it is reported "even the supposedly more urbane art crowd of Karachi created a 'furore' over them, which prompted the artist to write (the above poem). Dark sensual and tantalizing with huge luminous eyes and pouting lips, these nudes or barely draped creatures moved with a languorous rhythm and feline grace of a cat. Their unmistakable animal magnetism
rendered poster like in bold flat colours was titillating to say the least, earning Bashir Mirza just the kind of accolades he craved. Brash, impetuous and restless, this outspoken rebel of an artist was one of the earliest, truly "bohemian" painters we had along with Ahmed Pervaiz and Sadequain. The "shock value" he imparted from is work was very much a part of his own persona.
The 'Lonely Girl' series was shown and gifted to the Seoul Museum when he was invited by the Seoul Olympic Committee. Once again he was in the news. His exhibition DAWN OF DEMOCRACY was inaugrated by Begum Nusrat Bhutto and sporadic highs and lows followed in his chequered career. In '94 BM departed for Australia as Pakistan's cultural attache. By then he was sick, his only late and brief marriage had foundered and the decline had set in. On his return there were subsequent lukewarm exhibitions, the latest being at Chawkandi in Aug '99. The irrepressible B.M. continued to paint, to party, mingle and openings in spite of the slur in his speech and the tremor in his hands and the bottle in his pocket.
He wanted to be rich, famous and powerful and keep open house for his friends. He may not have had power but he did become famous as B.M. and he was loved by a large number of friends and he did also enjoy spells of financial comfort at certain stages of his career.
Alas the sun has set on him who made us feel its fiery power (He painted the black sun repeatedly in his famous 'War Series' '65 and the red sun in his 'Australian Series', '90's) but it was a life well spent for he confessed that "many of my dreams did come true". (quote from the book BASHIR MIRZA: Acrylic Series. '89—'94).
issued a Rs. 40 sheetlet to posthumously honour 10 Pakistani Painters. Besides Bashir Mirza, the other 9 painters are: Laila Shahzada
, Zubeida Agha
, Sadequain
, Ali Imam
, Shakir Ali
, Anna Molka Ahmed
, Zahoor ul Akhlaq
, Ahmed Pervez
and Askari Mian Irani
.
Pride of Performance
Pride of Performance , is one of the highest civil award given and conferred by the Pakistan Government to Pakistan's citizens in recognition of distinguished merit in the fields of Literature, Arts, Sports, Medicines, and Science for civilians in most particular cases.The announcement of civil...
, (1941, Amritsar
Amritsar
Amritsar is a city in the northern part of India and is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar district in the state of Punjab, India. The 2001 Indian census reported the population of the city to be over 1,500,000, with that of the entire district numbering 3,695,077...
, British India - 2000) was a Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
i painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
.
Early life
Born in Amristar in 1941, a Tonga makers son, B.M. manage to climb the ladder to fame.Education
He joined the Mayo School of Arts (now National College of ArtsNational College of Arts
The National College of Arts Lahore, usually referred to by its acronym NCA, is a famous old college in Lahore, Pakistan.Like all old institutions, the National College of Arts, has a historical tradition. Much of its present tone was set long ago when it was known as the Mayo School of Arts...
(NCA)), Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, where he was one of the special favourites of the great Shakir Ali. He graduate in 1962 from the department of design and was amongst the first batch of graduates of the renamed school.
Career
A product of the swinging sixties1960s
The 1960s was the decade that started on January 1, 1960, and ended on December 31, 1969. It was the seventh decade of the 20th century.The 1960s term also refers to an era more often called The Sixties, denoting the complex of inter-related cultural and political trends across the globe...
, he lived his life on his own terms. His razzle dazzle art career and free spirited persona did much to popularize art, for he propelled it out into the open daring the public to see it and to think.
He never stayed for long with one theme or style, fluctuating between realistic, abstract and non-objective styles. Strong emotion and symbolism typefied his work. In the '65 'War Series' he drew a number of 'Screams' directly onto the canvas pouring out his patriotic fervour well as his inner turmoil and turbulence. Though packing his work with explosive power he also exhibited considerable control over his medium, earning media coverage and stirring public interest. Another highlight of his artistic career was "Portfolio of Pakistan" produced in '67. Basically portraits of people of Pakistan from various provinces, they were sketched in Pen and Ink in a single tone. The structural strength and expressive quality of this work, it seems drew strong inspiration from Sadequain's ink drawings or figurative forms. Since it was not easy to survive on art alone in those days, B.M. looked out for new ventures of earning a living. He opened an art gallery
Art gallery
An art gallery or art museum is a building or space for the exhibition of art, usually visual art.Museums can be public or private, but what distinguishes a museum is the ownership of a collection...
(the first ever in Karachi) at Kutchery Road in '65 but in '69 left town to go abroad. He also published an Art Journal 'Artistic Pakistan' but in '68 sold it off. 'Atelier BM' opened in the '70s. He was by then running an advertising agency
Advertising agency
An advertising agency or ad agency is a service business dedicated to creating, planning and handling advertising for its clients. An ad agency is independent from the client and provides an outside point of view to the effort of selling the client's products or services...
cum gallery and bounced back into art again in 1998.
He exhibited his provocative "Lonely girl series" in 1971 and it is reported "even the supposedly more urbane art crowd of Karachi created a 'furore' over them, which prompted the artist to write (the above poem). Dark sensual and tantalizing with huge luminous eyes and pouting lips, these nudes or barely draped creatures moved with a languorous rhythm and feline grace of a cat. Their unmistakable animal magnetism
Animal magnetism
Animal magnetism , in modern usage, refers to a person's sexual attractiveness or raw charisma. As postulated by Franz Mesmer in the 18th century, the term referred to a supposed magnetic fluid or ethereal medium believed to reside in the bodies of animate beings...
rendered poster like in bold flat colours was titillating to say the least, earning Bashir Mirza just the kind of accolades he craved. Brash, impetuous and restless, this outspoken rebel of an artist was one of the earliest, truly "bohemian" painters we had along with Ahmed Pervaiz and Sadequain. The "shock value" he imparted from is work was very much a part of his own persona.
The 'Lonely Girl' series was shown and gifted to the Seoul Museum when he was invited by the Seoul Olympic Committee. Once again he was in the news. His exhibition DAWN OF DEMOCRACY was inaugrated by Begum Nusrat Bhutto and sporadic highs and lows followed in his chequered career. In '94 BM departed for Australia as Pakistan's cultural attache. By then he was sick, his only late and brief marriage had foundered and the decline had set in. On his return there were subsequent lukewarm exhibitions, the latest being at Chawkandi in Aug '99. The irrepressible B.M. continued to paint, to party, mingle and openings in spite of the slur in his speech and the tremor in his hands and the bottle in his pocket.
He wanted to be rich, famous and powerful and keep open house for his friends. He may not have had power but he did become famous as B.M. and he was loved by a large number of friends and he did also enjoy spells of financial comfort at certain stages of his career.
Alas the sun has set on him who made us feel its fiery power (He painted the black sun repeatedly in his famous 'War Series' '65 and the red sun in his 'Australian Series', '90's) but it was a life well spent for he confessed that "many of my dreams did come true". (quote from the book BASHIR MIRZA: Acrylic Series. '89—'94).
Postage stamp
On 14 August 2006, Pakistan PostPakistan Post
Pakistan Post is a state enterprise dedicated to providing wide range of postal products and public services in Pakistan. It is the largest postal service in the country...
issued a Rs. 40 sheetlet to posthumously honour 10 Pakistani Painters. Besides Bashir Mirza, the other 9 painters are: Laila Shahzada
Laila Shahzada
Laila Shahzada is one of Pakistan's most internationally renowned artists. She was of the first women painters in Pakistan to gain international recognition, with exhibitions around the world including Pakistan, London, Paris, Tokyo, Monte Carlo and New York.-Honours:She was awarded the...
, Zubeida Agha
Zubeida Agha
Zubeida Agha [ Urdu: زبىده آغا ] was the first Pakistani modern artist. After the creation of Pakistan in 1947, she was the first artist to have an exhibition of her paintings. She helped bring the modern idiom to Pakistan.-Career:...
, Sadequain
Sadequain
Syed Sadequain Ahmed Naqvi , Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, Pride of Performance, Sitara-e-Imtiaz, also often referred to as Sadequain Naqqash, was a world-renowned Pakistani artist, best known for his skills as a calligrapher and a painter...
, Ali Imam
Ali Imam
-Works:Immam has written more than 200 books, translated nearly 40. Child psychology, humanism and adventure is found in his writing. A simple style is available. Adventures, science fictions, stories related with historic events are the categories....
, Shakir Ali
Shakir Ali
Shakir Ali [ Urdu: شاکر على Shakir Ali [ Urdu: شاکر على Shakir Ali [ Urdu: شاکر على (1914–1975] was an influential modern Pakistani artist and art teacher. He was the principal of the National College of Arts in Lahore. He joined Mayo School of Art as Lecturer in Art in 1954 and after the...
, Anna Molka Ahmed
Anna Molka Ahmed
Anna Molka Ahmed was a famous Pakistani artist and pioneer of fine arts in the country after its independence in 1947. She was a professor of fine arts at the University of the Punjab in Lahore.-Background:...
, Zahoor ul Akhlaq
Zahoor ul Akhlaq
Zahoor ul Akhlaq was a pioneering artist from Pakistan. He is known for his approach to painting, sculpture, design and architecture, as well as his teaching at the NCA in Lahore....
, Ahmed Pervez
Ahmed Pervez
Ahmed Parvez [ Urdu: احمد پروىز was a Pakistani modernist painter whose work was marked with energy. He was member of The Lahore Group in Pakistan and founder member of the Pakistan Group in London....
and Askari Mian Irani
Askari Mian Irani
-Early life and education:Irani received a diploma in design from the National College of Arts , Lahore in 1967.-Stamp design:Irani designed two stamps of the Third Organisation of the Islamic Conference issue....
.
Books
- Husain, Marjorie, Basir Mirza: The last of the Bohemians, Karachi: Post Office Foundation Press 2006