KARACHI: The Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi, arranged an event on Tuesday afternoon to celebrate eminent artist Masood A. Khan’s achievement of winning ‘honour award’ at the Haegeumgang Theme Museum in South Korea.

Speaking on the occasion, distinguished writer and painter Anwar Maqsood said Khan’s images talk to the viewer. “You stand alone in front of his paintings and look at the colours that he’s used… it’s the hardest job to use watercolours because the stroke that you’ve applied is the final stroke. Khan employs colours with love and humanness. His paintings with a single stroke can also tell you what lies behind the [painted] wall.”

Anwar Maqsood said he never goes to Khan’s exhibition on its opening day. Instead, he visits the show on the morning of the second day when there’s no one around. “When you see the exhibition all by yourself, it feels as if you’re listening to raga bhageshri. From every picture emerges a musical note. He is king. The path that he’s chosen for himself doesn’t have a destination (manzil). He will progress a lot. It is a big accomplishment for our country that among 283 painters at an exhibition [in Korea] he’s got the award. It’s for all of us.”

‘His paintings talk to you’

The council’s president Ahmed Shah said it’s an honour for the Arts Council that a faculty member [Khan] of its art school has won an award. He also lauded his music and theatre academies for doing a praiseworthy job. He pointed out that art scene in Pakistan is flourishing as now Pakistani artists are recognised, and their artworks are bought, all over the world.

Masood A. Khan said he was born in a small village in Bengal [Bangladesh]. “I saw the Dhaka Fall. For two and a half years I remained a prisoner of war in an Indian camp. Then I came to Karachi and now I’m in front of you.” He appealed to the authorities concerned for building art museums.

Shahid Rassam said the programme held on Tuesday was different because oftentimes people are celebrated after they have left the world. But they have broken the trend by celebrating a colleague [Khan]. He told the audience that recently an exhibition took place in South Korea titled ‘Peace Again’ in which 283 artists from 61 countries participated.

Published in Dawn, September 15th, 2021