A RECENT visit after many years to the Shakir Ali Museum in Lahore with a first-time visitor left me in a state of shock and embarrassment.

The beautifully post-modern lines and construction of this abode of the father of modern art in Pakistan still echoed with faded and faint memories. His monumental works are lying in a pathetic state of complete neglect and utter waste. w

The works on paper are poorly encased in old, yellowed plastic sheeting on the verge of cracking. The state of oil painting works on canvas and board are coming apart, with cracked paint waiting to wither away. The frames are at times held together with strings.

The so-called museum is at best being used as a store for school posters and cheap comedy competitions (to which the generous guard extended us an invitation).

Since March, one has been reading about 2016-17 as centennial year of the great master, and random seminars are held that one discovers post-facto in newspapers. Is this truly the way to pay respects to Shakir Ali’s genius?

Shakir Ali left his life’s labour and all that belonged to him to this nation and its future generations. Would it have been too much for the authorities to have made some effort to preserve his works, and put together a series of events, at the Shakir Ali Museum, during the course of the centennial year?

This could have been done through exhibitions, talks, discussions, debates and relevant music programmes to create renewed awareness of Shakir Ali’s tremendous contribution to the arts in Pakistan and to educate art students about his significance as an artist, art educator and a pioneer of modern art in the country that he chose as his home.

F. Z. Shah

Lahore

Published in Dawn November 15th, 2016