Dr Ajaz Anwar is a celebrated watercolourist, art educationist, historian and conservationist, who has over the years depicted the rich culture and essence of old Lahore through his paintings. He is also part of the Lahore Conservation Society and has personally documented many old buildings of the city that have now been razed mostly to make way for new structures. He is also a recipient of the Pride of Performance Award in 1997.

Dr Anwar sat down with Dawn to explore his journey into the world of art, and efforts to document Lahore and its festivals through his paintings.

The remarkable artist was born in 1946 in Ludhiana. He went to the Joan McDonald School in Lahore and later in 1961, attended Government College where fine arts had been newly introduced under Prof Aslam Minhas. He then completed his MA in Fine Arts from Punjab University in first class and won a gold medal.

After his MA, Dr Anwar completed his PhD in Muslim Arts from Istanbul, Turkey in 1978.

From 1972, he remained a lecturer at various universities until he started teaching at the National College of Arts (NCA) in 1979 from where he retired as the director of its art gallery.

Dr Anwar also went to Turkey on a scholarship for a doctorate at the Istanbul Technical University’s Department of Architecture in 1972. “I was then selected for Unesco’s Conservation of Cultural Property (architecture) programme in Rome in 1977,” he added. He also served as a senior lecturer at the School of Fine Arts, University of Makerere, Kampala, Uganda in 1978-79.

Upon his return home, he served as a visiting lecturer simultaneously at the Punjab University’s fine arts and architecture departments, University of Engineering and Technology and NCA. In 1979, he was appointed assistant professor at NCA and retired as the director of its art gallery in 2006.

About his work, Dr Anwar says his watercolour paintings portrayed the grandeur of the old buildings and cultural life of Lahore. The main, recurring theme of his paintings is the old buildings that he has tried to preserve through his art -- which have been replaced by modern structures. But the characters in his paintings are a part of daily life; they are faceless, but represent the common people moving around in bazaars and markets. Kites are another object one could instantly notice in his paintings; his works on Basant have their own romance and significance.

He has exhibited his watercolour paintings around the world, from Istanbul, Ankara, Rome, Kuala Lumpur, to Delhi, Chandigarh, London and Canterbury.

About his conservation efforts, Dr Anwar said the Lahore Conservation Society was founded by Khwaja Zaheeruddin and among its main achievements was the passage of Punjab Special Premises Act 1985. Its purpose was to save the many historical buildings that were listed as protected, but sadly the list was not updated, he rued. Tollinton Market was successfully rescued and restored.

About his equally renowned father, the late cartoonist Anwar Ali, popularly known as Nanna, Dr Anwar said: “My father was also a watercolour painter. His guidance in my formative years was important. I followed other mediums during my academic training in oil, sculpture, printmaking and portrait.” He said he developed a special interest in watercolours for which he was awarded the first prize at four different fora.

About private art galleries, Dr Anwar was of the view that they were fleecing artists as well as customers. “I don’t deal through them,” he stressed.

The artist also set up a museum and art gallery to promote art and culture. He said he founded the House of Nanna(s) on Raiwind Road in 2011, showcasing his paintings about old Lahore and cartoons by his father. Every year, on his father’s death anniversary on Nov 27, week-long celebrations are held at the premises spread over four kanal. A classic vintage cars and motorbikes show is organised as well as painting contests and shows. Every Sunday, art classes are also held for all ages.

Dr Anwar said if the government was interested in taking the House of Nanna(s) under its patronage, he would welcome the gesture.

He said visual art was undergoing a change the world over and that he was optimistic about the upcoming young artists. After having self-published three books, the veteran artist was now in the process of compiling his columns published in the now defunct thePakistan Timesover 10 years and running the House of Nanna(s).

Published in Dawn, May 16th, 2021