Haq To Ye Hai Ke Haq Ada Na Hua will conclude tomorrow

KARACHI: Ali Azmat is one of the leading artists Pakistan has produced in the last two decades. His work is marked by precision of lines and his remarkable ability to make his artworks speak to the viewer. His latest exhibition at the Arts Council of Pakistan’s Ahmed Pervez Art Gallery is a tribute to the father of the nation, Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

It is apt keeping in mind that Dec 25 is the Quaid’s 147th birth anniversary.

The show, curated by Amna I Pataudi and Dr Rahat Naveed Masud, is titled Haq To Ye Hai Ke Haq Ada Na Hua. It will conclude on Tuesday (tomorrow).

Those who are well-versed in Urdu literature would know that the name of the exhibition is taken from poet Mriza Ghalib’s following two lines:

Jaan di, di hui usi ki thi

Haq to yeh hai ke haq ada na hua

[I return to Him, for He gave me my life

The truth is, I’m still indebted to Him]

The verse has spiritual connotations. This is what makes the display so intriguing. Azmat has come up with a variety of images of the Quaid using different mediums. In each image, Mr Jinnah, dressed impeccably, has an expression that makes the viewer not just look at the exhibit but listen to it. It creates an audio-visual story in front of the viewer. And next to the artworks, are quotes by the great man.

What Azmat is trying to say, through both his art and the rubric of the event, is that the Quaid had a clear and beautiful idea for the country which he made for us. What we’ve done with it leaves a bit to be desired. This may sound like a simple idea but when the viewer looks at the paintings, it infuses in him a spirit that ena­bles him to look within… and introspect.

Thoughtful stuff!

Published in Dawn, December 25th, 2023