Jamil Naqsh’s painting ‘Portrait with dove’, oil on canvas, (76cm x 76cm) is an important allegory that narrates the artist’s persistent urge to combine the traditional with the contemporary.

A segment of Naqsh’s recent international exhibition titled, ‘Jamil Naqsh pays homage to Picasso’, the painting portrays numerous aspects of the artist’s masterful articulation.

This was painted at his London studio with the passionate desire to express reverence for the legendry Spanish painter, Pablo Picasso; a co-founder of the Cubist movement.

Naqsh’s innovative cubist fragmentation that has evolved over the decades finds its roots in the extensive study of various art movements of the early 20th century. The artist’s deliberate recluse, contemplative research and unstoppable painting have honed his vision and style that are distinctive and delightful.

He believes in the form more than he does in colour. This painting with its cerulean blue, shades of magenta on black and dominant white, achieves its overall impact because of the strong structure of lines, division of space and the congenial forms.— M.S.K.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, September 28th, 2014