IT was surprising and shocking to note that the death of Mansoor Rahi, a renowned artist, has gone unsung in terms of its coverage in the national media. Other than a so-called obituary, which was full of errors, there was nothing of note.

Born in Malda in West Bengal in 1939, Rahi moved with his family to what was then East Pakistan. He studied art in Dhaka and was a student of Zanul Abedin, the well-known artist.

On a visit to Karachi, he met the Zuberi sisters, Rabia and Hajra, who were setting up an art school in Nazimabad at the time, and were looking for a principal to lead the team. Rahi filled the bill.

In the process, he fell in love with Hajra. She responded positively. A few years later they moved to Peshawar, where Rahi was employed by the only university in the city. Soon afterwards, the couple moved to Islamabad, as Rahi was always fascinated by mountains. The duo painted passionately in the capital. Rahi appeared on Pakistan Television regularly where he took art classes. It would need a lot of space to highlight his excellence as an artist.

Asif Noorani
Karachi

Published in Dawn, June 2nd, 2024