Reviewing a book written by Dr Akbar Naqvi is an act loaded with some trepidation: one expects as much from this author as from the subject chosen by him. It cannot be dismissed lightly, although one may have reservations regarding its content and format.

The rather flattering assessment of Shahid Rassam’s work by one of the country’s most eminent and knowledgeable art critics leaves one wondering. One cannot help but feel that the critic’s independent role has been somewhat compromised in a relationship in which the book has been produced and published by the Rassam Studio, rendering it akin to a gallery catalogue.

Distinguished art historian and critic Dr Naqvi is acknowledged for his extensively researched book, Image and Identity: Fifty Years of Modern Painting and Sculpture in Pakistan, published in the late 1990s, which continues to be perhaps the most significant and scholarly book on the history and development of modern and contemporary art of the subcontinent. The book has served as an encyclopaedia of the art as well as the lives of the art-makers, documented in inexhaustible detail. Dr Naqvi has also written hundreds of art reviews and a monograph titled Shahid Sajjad’s Sculpture: Collected Essays, published in 2007.

Dr Akbar Naqvi’s latest monograph is on the artist Shahid Rassam, and covers his paintings, sculptures and charcoal drawings

Now, in the twilight of his illustrious career, he has chosen to write yet another monograph — a sizable, hardbound coffee-table book intriguingly titled Sense and Insanity. The subtitle on the cover says, Paintings, Sculptures and Newsprint with Charcoal by Shahid Rassam, with no mention of the substantial and impressive portrait work of the artist. Nevertheless, Dr Naqvi writes extensively in the ‘Portrait’ chapter about the history of portraiture, trashing most portrait painters of Pakistan, saying (they) “make a good living from painting generals of the army and high dignitaries of the state. All appearance and no understanding”, and likens Rassam to a “shining star” among them. He then goes on blithely to present over 20 portraits, mostly of eminent personalities including poets, politicians, intellectuals and actors.

The book starts with a ‘Foreword’ by Rassam, followed by an ‘Introduction’ by Dr Naqvi. Rassam’s work is covered under the four heads — painting, portrait, newspaper clips and sculpture. These are followed by an ‘Afterword’, and a ‘Preface’ in Urdu by Mushtaq Ahmed Yusufi.

Rassam is a self-made man of humble origins. He was born in a suburb of Hyderabad, Sindh, in 1971. When he was three, his family moved to Karachi and was forced to live on the brink of poverty. Rassam claims that he owes everything to the indomitable courage and fortitude of his mother. Enduring the insults and wrath of an insensitive drawing master, he went through school and on to Karachi University, graduated in geology, and also obtained his Master’s degree in the subject. He then proceeded to do a double Master’s in Urdu language and literature, and developed a passion for meeting artists, poets and well-known literary figures, many of whom may have moulded his thinking and thus influenced his work.

In the brief ‘Foreword’, the artist speaks about his journey into the world of painting and sculpture and describes it from “Romanticism to Poetic Surrealism” (Ahmad Faraz to Jaun Elia to Ghalib).

In his extensive and considerably researched ‘Introduction’, Dr Naqvi writes that “Rassam came to be known when modern art in Pakistan had become postmodern and conceptual. The unsavoury influence of Young British Artists (YBA) had seeped into Pakistan”.

Rassam was not among the inheritors of modernism from the practice of the pioneers of art and their successors in Pakistan. He was preparing to establish his own course. Developing in this environment, however, he drew upon his grounding in Urdu poetry as well as English fiction, his interest in classical music and the arts of Europe. Conceptual art did not serve his purpose. Rassam opted instead for Surrealism and expressed his admiration for Salvador Dali.

The first section of the book, covering painting, describes Rassam’s work, his evolution and rise, in detail, with reproductions of paintings on nearly every page. It clearly shows the overriding influence of Dali, and occasionally Seurat. One can also see how the liminal zones that feature strongly in folklore and mythology seem to emanate from Rassam’s rooting in Urdu literature.

The second section, ‘Portrait’, the most extensive, is also perhaps the most significant. It begins with a portrait of the outstanding humourist and satirist Mushtaq Ahmed Yusufi. A half-smiling Yusufi, dressed smartly in a black jacket and tie, looks very much the banker. Towards the end of the book is a ‘Preface’ written by him in Urdu in his typical satirical manner.

Among the portraits, the formidable portrait of Hazel McCallion, ex-mayor of Mississauga, Canada (oil on canvas) is arresting. Rassam captures her age and rage in this showstopper. By contrast, the serene black and white portrait of the great poet and philosopher Rabindranath Tagore depicts him in deep thought. It is heartening to see the Nobel laureate included in this portrait gallery. The portrait of poet Jaun Elia, rendered in a different style, speaks volumes about the idiosyncratic, defeatist poet who apparently played a big part in the artist’s life. However, the portraits of fashion designer Bunto Kazmi and actress Raakhi, though quite detailed in their manifestation, seem somewhat cold and lifeless. One would have liked to see more of his portrait works done in watercolour, such as the sensitive study of the late senior journalist Murtaza Razvi, a friend of the artist.

The third section on newspaper clippings with charcoal, and the fourth on sculpture, seem to be explorations by the artist in different media. His skill and technique are admirable in both, although these are not his mainstay.

Rassam’s inclination towards copying paintings done by European masters has also been discussed, and cannot be ignored. These reproductions can best be considered academic or skill-development studies rather than actual works of art. Although lacking artistic originality, they provide an indication of the level of expertise inherent in Rassam’s work, be it painting, portrait, charcoal or sculpture. They also indicate the complex evolutionary influences, explorations, and the search for meaning and purpose in this artist’s work, drawing inspiration not only from the world of international visual arts, but also from more indigenous sources including Urdu poetry and literature.

One wishes, in conclusion, that the editing of the text had been as meticulously undertaken as the research and commentary on the life and work of the artist, or even the appearance, style and format of the book.

The reviewer is an author and co-founding senior editor of NuktaArt magazine (2005-2014).

Sense and Insanity: Paintings, Sculptures and Newsprint with Charcoal by Shahid Rassam
(ART)
By Dr Akbar Naqvi
Rassam Studio, Karachi
ISBN: 978-9699251757
229pp.

Published in Dawn, Books & Authors, October 2nd, 2016