LAHORE: Once the residence of subcontinent’s magnificent visual artist Amrita Sher-Gil at Ganga Ram Mansions on The Mall was a happening place on Tuesday, where a number of art lovers, intellectuals, visual artists and other guests gathered for the unveiling ceremony of a commemorative plaque and an exhibition to pay homage to the celebrated artist of United India.

The plaque installed at Gil’s residence on Tuesday read, “1931-1941 The pioneer in modern art of the Indian subcontinent. The artist of Indo-Hungarian parentage, who influenced generations of painters to come, breathed her last in this house on 5th December 1941”.

The event was organised by the Hungarian embassy in collaboration with the Punjab University College of Art and Design. Among the notables who attended the event were the Hungarian ambassador to Pakistan Bela Fazekas, visual artists, critic and educationist Saleema Hashmi, Walled City of Lahore Authority Director General Kamran Lashari, College of Art and Design Principal Dr Sumera Jawad, Lahore Biennale Foundation Director Qudsia Raheem and Fauzia Qureshi from Lahore Sangat.

Deputy head of the mission from the Hungarian embassy Ms Dora in her welcoming remarks thanked the Evacuee Trust Property Board, Lahore Sangat and College of Art and Design for their contribution in making the event a success.

Speaking on the occasion, Hungarian Ambassador Bela Fazekas said Amrita Sher-Gil was born in Hungary and she was one of the distinguished visual artists of the Indian subcontinent. Mr Fazekas said the event had been organised here on Dec 5 on her death anniversary.

He praised the college of art and design artists who recreated artworks of Amrita Sher-Gil with the amalgamation of their own ideas to pay homage to the artist. Throwing light on Gil’s life and works, Fazekas said the Hungarian embassy in collaboration with the PU college of art and design intended to turn Gil’s residence into a museum. To the ambassador, the residence of Sher-Gil should be conserved for the future generations. The ambassador also mentioned Hungarian artists, professors, orientalists who lived in Lahore.

Addressing the gathering, Dr Sumera Jawad said it was an honour for the college that its students had come up with recreated artworks on Amrita Sher-Gil.

The recreated works by 13 college artists were on display at the exhibition.

Published in Dawn, December 6th, 2023