Sughra Rababi (1922-1994), a graduate of the Saranagati School of Art, Karachi and alumna of Rabindranath Tagore’s Shantiniketan Fine Arts University, West Bengal, India, is regarded as one of the early post-independence modern painters of Pakistan. Her initial grooming in traditional art combined with her passionate cognisance of regional heritage resulting in a unique form of expression. 

Her exquisite painting ‘Mehndi’, (1986), tempera on paper, (48 inches x 28 inches), serves as a benchmark for the distinguished genre she evolved. The slender doe-eyed females, in richly embellished attire amidst traditional households, are a true reflection of the native culture. The proceedings of the Mehndi ceremony, the serenading friends, the dancing children and the domestic ambience narrate the significance of family bonds and traditions. This painting is held in a private collection.  — M.S.K

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, December 7th, 2014