If art imitates life, then art’s relationship with society defines the quintessential forms of human existence. It was these forms that Syed Sadequain Ahmed Naqvi, commonly known as Sadequain, strived to explore. He called himself a fakir and his life was a true reflection of his claim. He died penniless in 1987 and that is, perhaps, exactly how he wanted it.

Like a classical Greek hero, he recreated reality as he saw it and in the process redefined the visual aesthetics of that time.

He painted like a man possessed, claiming to have jinns in his control. While Sadequain was working in Paris during the 1960s, the French newspaper Le Monde et Lavie stated, “The multiplicity of Sadequain’s gift is reminiscent of Picasso.” High praise indeed.

On other occasions the artist claimed it was divine inspiration that guided his hand even when he did not want his hand to move.

He recited the mantra of his power to animate and enliven the visible world in his paintings and poetry.

The mark of Sadequain’s genius was crossing each predefined boundary of artistic thought and doing away with every other confinement that he deemed an obstruction

His behaviour was equally enigmatic, his personality impossible to pigeonhole. Many believed he was a saint. Many talked about his warmth and boisterous gaiety. Others described him as self-absorbed, egocentric, attention seeker and a show-off. A newspaper headline once refuted these allegations, declaring instead: “Sadequain is a showman because he has something to show.”

Lady amidst mountain cacti,1957

And show he did: Sadequain’s collection of murals, paintings and calligraphy is a sight to behold. Some of his works draw inspiration from the ancient wisdom of Sufi traditions; as archetypal expressions of mystic vision, these works transcend our latent potentials. Although calligraphy is only a small part of Sadequain’s portfolio, it is still very significant. He is credited with inventing his own style of Arabic script called Khatt-i-Sadequain, a distinction not many can claim.

Mural art is considered as the most challenging form of painting, requiring as it does imagination, skill, stamina and resources. Consequently, the world has not produced many mural artists of considerable merit. Sadequain painted more than 45 murals in his life most of which are on display in Pakistan, India, the Middle East, Europe and North America.

His generosity knew no bounds as he did not simply produce ordinary paintings to earn a living, but painted world class monuments and donated all to national institutions and common citizens — benevolence at a scale which has no parallel in our art history.

The artistic merit of his work aside, the monetary worth of his donations according to international art institutions exceeds more than a billion dollars. He donated his artworks to people and institutions in places as distant as Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, India, Middle East, Austria, Switzerland, France, England, the US and Canada to name a few.

Perhaps such an acclaimed artist could have led an easier life. After his demise, some claimed that they were Sadequain’s sole support during his last years. The fact is that after the death of his parents and brothers, Sadequain was the sole guardian and supporter of his two widowed sisters-in-law and their six children in the joint family household.

But his lifestyle and choices were not always acceptable to society at large. His coming home late, sometimes inebriated, and being around the widowed sisters-in-law and young children was not deemed appropriate by his family either. He soon found himself constantly hounded by caretakers, who sensed his vulnerability and took full advantage of it.

On the pretext of keeping him company and masquerading as caregivers, most walked away with his precious artwork in large volumes. Some would even chase him clutching painting materials which they prodded him to use it at the first opportune moment. Sadequain exposed these characters in a rubai he later penned:

Tasveer woh laya jo bana kar mangi
Han doosti kuch aur barha kar mangi
Sab ko yeh batanay keh khareedi usnay
Thori si musawwir ko pila kar mangi

(Pretender begged for the painting freshly done
Oh yes, hypocrite posed and nagged for more
To lie that he purchased the painting for cash
Boozed the painter and begged for more)

Sadequain has been referred to as the most celebrated artist of the country but that is still an understatement. He was a larger than life icon, the likes of which come around only once in generations.

Dr Salman Ahmed has written several books on Sadequain and is the founder of Sadequain Foundation

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, February 8th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play