KARACHI: Abdur Rahman Chughtai holds a unique place in the world of art. He is attributed to have founded a new school of art in the 20th century, the only one to originate from Asia and which has come to be known as Chughtai Art. This and many other details about the life and artworks of A.R. Chughtai were the focus of the talk by art enthusiast Inam Khawaja organised by the Fomma Trust on Tuesday. Also featured was an exhibition of original paintings, etchings and book covers designed by Chughtai.

Claimed by many as one of the earliest art icons of the country, Chughtai belonged to a family of painters and architects, and studied amid the culturally rich milieu of Lahore. He picked up various inspirations along the way, including Mughal art, calligraphy, miniature painting and many of his art pieces depict scenes from Hindu mythology.

Khawaja may not have ever met Chughtai, yet he has remained a lifelong admirer and critic of his work and is widely considered to be an authority on the subject. He began his talk by firmly emphasising an aspect of Chughtai’s work that has evoked a lot of dispute -- his association with the Bengal school. Khawaja refuted claims that Chughtai was a product of the Bengal school style and insisted that, apart from a very short trip lasting a mere few weeks, Chughtai did not stay long enough in his travels to have picked up its traditions.

The talk was accompanied by a presentation on Chughtai’s various paintings, etchings and a distinct style known as brush sketches. A short comment on the different visuals allowed the audience, which included artists, avid art collectors and a few novices, to appreciate the themes and style that Chughtai employed. Almost all of his paintings were portraits of women and Khawaja spoke about a particular trait that Chughtai picked up from the Iranian tradition of never using a model. Most of his illustrations depict historical figures, as well as women caught up in their mundane lives. Many of the paintings not just incorporate Hindu imagery but also employ more modern themes.

Another distinct element of Chughtai’s pioneering work is his technique of painting. Not only did he use a type of paper that was stronger than usual, his process also included washing his paintings again and again. This strategic manner of using watercolours to paint and washing the painting afterwards, only to repeat the same process at least 40 times, was to allow a deeper gradation to the artwork. Not only did the artwork appear to have more depth, it also eliminated distinct colour gradations between shades of the same palette. This is, according to Khawaja, is one of the characteristics of identifying an authentic Chughtai painting. The colours in each painting gently blend into each other and so look more natural.

This constant washing of the piece, according to Khawaja, eliminated the acidity of the paper and as a result the painting was never brittle to the touch. This is another way to identify fakes, which he believes are rampantly present in many galleries as well as private collections.

Khawaja emphasised how important Chughtai’s contribution is as he brought the miniature out of the confines of the book onto a larger canvas and incorporated a diverse range of traditions and inspirations into his work. He also, answering a question, shed light on Chughtai’s formal calligraphic training by one of the most famous naqash of his times, Ustad Karim Buksh.

Though credited to have been the genius behind almost 6,000 paintings, only a few hundred of Chughtai’s paintings have been identified and preserved. His Hindu works are included in various collections and museums in India yet are fairly unknown in Pakistan and it is in itself a feat that the organisers arranged an intimate view for audiences . As for his remaining paintings, only a fraction of his work can be viewed at the Chughtai museum in Lahore and a few other museums.

Published in Dawn, June 11th, 2014