July 6, 2002

Each one of us has an inherent urge to sing, to paint, to write or to create. This desire for self-expression is the source of creation and the fire that fuels our souls. Large thriving cities with an active art ambience support and sustain artistic activities and creativity is nurtured at many different levels. However, to kindle and foster art awareness in a small country district like Mirpurkhas requires a missionary spirit, a mellow mix of love for the land and its people. Artist Lal Muhammad Pathan, in his own small way, has tried to effect a cultural awareness amongst the conservative, semi-literate, semi-urban environs of Mirpurkhas.

Instead of nurturing ambitions of basking in the city lights Lal Muhammad Pathan decided very early in life to settle and serve in his native Mirpurkhas. Having studied art for his intermediate certificate in the pre-partition years — when Karachi was still under the Bombay Presidency — Lal Muhammad continued his art training in the culturally rich city of Lahore.

Here he came under the influence of renowned artists and teachers like Shakir Ali, Ustad Haji Shariff, Ustad Allah Bukhsh and others. He did not undertake long term structured academic training and remained largely self-taught, but his varied exposure during these formative years was crucial to the development of his signature style.

Returning to Karachi in 1956 he became part of the art milieu here and even worked briefly for a few months with Sadequain. He could have endeavoured to carve a niche for himself in this city if he had so desired. But, within a year, he decided to head back to his native Sindhi heartland.

Promoting art appreciation in a small town like Mirpurkhas in the late ‘50s must have been a novel experience. “I began teaching with only two students,” Lal Muhammad recalls,”but our spirits were high. In 1958 we arranged an All-Pakistan Exhibition, which featured works of such stalwarts as A.R. Chughtai, Ustad Allah Bukhsh, Zainul Abedin, Jehangir Khan, Aminul Islam, Latif, etc. It was very well received and even Chughtai himself praised our efforts.”

A string of other solo exhibitions of Karachi’s known artists followed over the years, as well as another All-Pakistan Exhibition in 1968 featuring among others, works of artists like Sadequain and Lubna Agha. This introduction of art and artists to the local inhabitants helped to acquaint them with the developing aesthetics in Pakistan.

His personal art production, devoted entirely to documenting the way of life in the Tharparkar region onto the canvas, also contributed considerably in creating some semblance of art consciousness. To encourage and sustain an ongoing interest in the arts Lal Muhammad envisioned an arts complex in Mirpurkhas, where the residents could be invited regularly to participate and engage in cultural activities.

His initial efforts directed towards this purpose began to take concrete shape over a passage of time. Today on Hyderabad Road in Gulistan-i-Baldia in Mirpurkhas there is a thriving cultural complex, where an association of interested local inhabitants assists, sponsors and co-ordinates cultural programmes. This modest centre boasts of a museum, which displays antiquated weaponry belonging to the ruling dynasties of Sindh, intricate indigenous needlecraft, ancient pottery relics and other artifacts of the region.

A photographic display of nearby historical sites is also a point of interest. An well-lit library-cum-reading room updates the average reader with fresh stocks of relevant newspapers, magazines, journals as well as a reasonable number of books. An in-built auditorium and cultural hall is used for performances and lectures.

However, the unit most alive with activity is the one which contains the art rooms where Lal Muhammad paints and teaches. Equipped with the rudimentary basics like easels, chairs and stools, these rooms nowadays have more than a dozen students at work at any given time. A curriculum of drawing and painting of subjects like still-life, landscape, portraiture, figure work, calligraphy, and the like, is taught.

Students enrolled are from the matriculation to intermediate age groups. They generally undertake two to three years’ art training that gives them sufficient preparatory grounding to apply for admission to institution like NCA in Lahore. Quite a few students, who have traversed this path have eventually graduated with commendation from their respective institutions. Sculptor Jabbar Gul of NCA is among the few who have also managed to gain recognition in art circles. Another former student, who also passed out from NCA and held a successful solo just a few years ago at Kunj art gallery, is Tariq Mehmood.

It is Lal Muhammad’s earnest desire to see all his students fare well. He is not running the school on a commercial basis and charges a token fee of Rs 10 per month. He feels that noted institutions in the country should have some special reservation for the underprivileged deserving students. Explaining his point of view, he adds: “My students generally belong to a lower income strata and cannot afford the expenses of higher education. If the country’s leading art colleges selected and awarded scholarships to just two students from my group each year, it would be heartening.

“Selection should be based on an entrance test and merit only,” he assets, adding that “such opportunities go a long way in uplifting the lives of these students.” Just as the moving spirit behind the cultural complex, Lal Muhammad, has covered much ground since the time be began in 1957.

In the wake of the orthodox views on art his efforts have brought some attitude shifts. Tolerance levels and a sense of emancipation have grown in the local community as new students continue to enrol for lessons, and it is not just boys, even girls are joining his art school. An art gallery within the complex displays works of these young artists in-the-making. It displays a fine sampling of their range and talent.