Print

    Remembering Sadequain at T2F: Zikr-e-Yaar Chalay

    Written by: Nayha Jehangir Khan
    Posted on: July 03, 2020 |

    A Painting from Sadequain's Cactus Series

    This year marks the 33rd death anniversary of the enigmatic, mystical and unforgettable Pakistani painter Syed Sadequain Ahmed Naqvi. Beloved and mourned by generations of contemporaries, he is known throughout the world by his first name Sadequain. The complexity of storytelling and composition of his work were central themes of the live broadcasted talk held by The Second Floor (T2F) between Shahid Rassam, Firasat Rizvi and Sultan Naqvi.

    Firasat Rizvi is an author and a voice of authority for classical literature. A poet during the 70s, Rizvi shared his admiration for the fact that Sadequain extensively authored classical Rubaiyaat while simultaneously creating a monumental scale of visual art. The tradition of precisely crafting four-line stanzas that encapsulated metaphysical explorations, along with mapping philosophical commentary on life, politics, spirituality and relationships.

    Part of the Sadequain Painting on the Roof of Frere Hall

    The origins of this style of poetry dates to 11th-Century Iran, transcending through time and is captured in the artistic sensibilities of Sadequain in the 20th century. Although there have been English translations of the Rubaiyaat that became immensely popular in the west, the artist knew the tradition in its original Persian form. Being multilingual and fluent in Persian, he understood the anatomical weaving of words and was able to create sharp multidirectional trajectories of Urdu verses.

    Much like a composer or conductor of an orchestra, he was an unapologetic wordsmith. His effortless penmanship on paper was multifaceted, where the flawless marksmanship was calligraphic and his verses were autonomous. His hierophant persona was able to transcend conventionalism, imparting the internal and autonomous reality of his life in his drawings, paintings, murals and sculptures.

    Sadequain's Calligraphy

    He explored language in the same way as painting, with imagery and uninhibited movements. The difficulty in writing Rubaiyaat is connecting the first two lines with the fourth, making it essential to anchor the third line with a catalyst like verse.

    Sadequain's personality, according to Rizvi, had honed this skill through being able to capture metaphors phonetically, like painterly strokes on a canvas. The words felt like landscapes and colour fields that captured the attention of the listener and transported them instantly into the artist's poetry. There is a duality in his paintings and Rabaiyaat, an exploration of spirituality and dark painful experiences run parallel, often connecting physiological experiences with higher meaning beyond human existence. He called himself a faqir, Sufi and an ordinary man. Sadequain’s personality was that of an anti-hero, who did not want to market himself.

    Sadequain Painting

    Having spent his formative years in Karachi, Shahid Rassam is currently the Principal of Arts Council Central Institute of Arts and Craft, Pakistan. His kinship with Dr. Akbar Naqvi had deepened his understanding of Sadequain over the years. He recalled the artist being an immediate painter in a frenzy and unstoppable, being able to land bold marks, making strokes on anything in his path. He remembered that Sadequain was young when he achieved international recognition in 1963. His work was at par with western modernism of the 1920s.

    He quoted the artist having said, “My paintings are not for the drawing-room but the dust bin”. Rassam explained the uniqueness of his form and the colossal volume of work that we have lost over the decades to forgery, theft and a lack of conservation of art. There are certain visual metaphors such as the human form being depicted as a cactus, that are signature Sadequain and live on in his paintings.

    Credited as a credible source on Sadequain’s life and art, Syed Sultan Ahmed Naqvi is the artist’s nephew. He brought excerpts from a Herald Magazine interview of the artist, and verses from the compilation Naqvi authored called Rubaiyaat-e-Kuliyaat. Thus, he provided a context for the audience to understand Sadequain’s thought process.

    Firasat Rizvi (Left) and Syed Sultan Ahmed Naqvi (Right) at T2F

    Naqvi said that he had been close to his uncle, and had attended to all his personal needs. The cheerful smile on Naqvi’s face was contagious, as he expressed the passion and dedication with which Sadequain created his work. Naqvi had seen the artist paint the Mangla Mural, and explained how Sadequain planned figures as tall as 15 feet with relative ease in his mind.

    A Part of the Mangla Mural

    He only gave his art to those who resonated with it deeply, and never sold work, not even to Queen Farah Diba. He would instead “work for the multitude and the shards, like a traveler between two worlds.” The artist was not seeking fame or fortune, and wished for his body to be sent afloat, so that he may not take up land in the afterlife.

    Sadequain was a true modernist and genuine polymath. This analytical and critical relationship he had with works of Iqbal, Ghalib and other canon poets was known to his nephew, expressed in his Rubiyaat and those who admire his paintings. We are only able to scratch the surface during this time of his deepened understanding on spiritual, artistic and transcendent philosophies elevating his status as one of the greatest painters of Pakistan.


    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021