The National Art Gallery in Islamabad, is Pakistan’s first national art gallery, and works under the auspices of the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA). Opened to the public in 2007, it presents an impressive space, displaying the art works of both our old masters and contemporary artists.

My last visit to the gallery was in 2014. Amongst the myriad visuals, one witnessed a series of impressive calligraphic murals made by artist Sumaya Durrani, whose world-class artistic and intellectual credentials many art connoisseurs are well aware of. There was one specimen of pristine calligraphy on one of the walls on the ground-floor, another on the walls of the ramp connecting the second and third floor, and one in room 13.

Fast forward to 2019, these calligraphic works have been obliterated, and the authorities at the gallery, as well as PNCA claim to know nothing about when or how this happened. The artist, Ms Durrani, who happened to visit the gallery very recently, was understandably devastated to see the insidious destruction of her work, without any prior notice or explanation. She very rightly, wants justice for this ‘act of violence’ against her works of art which for her were an intensive labour of love and creative devotion. She had made the works in 2013-14 at the behest of the ministry of culture, as a part of the permanent collection of the National Art Gallery, and took no monetary remuneration for all her efforts.

Ms Durrani is currently working on her doctoral thesis at the University of New South Wales, Sydney. Her calligraphic works form a significant part of her doctoral discourse, and even earned her a nomination for The Jameel Prize at the Victoria and Albert Museum. However, the injustice meted out to her work in her own homeland, at the National Art Gallery in Pakistan, is a cause for grave concern. Who will give justice and compensate her? It is a matter that needs to be investigated by the relevant authorities in the government.

An art lover

Lahore

Published in Dawn, July 21st, 2019