LAHORE: Renowned painter Iqbal Hussain quietly passed away in Lahore on Thursday last. The visual art fraternity has expressed deep sorrow and grief over his sad demise.

Many in the art community did not know about his death because for the last several years he was not in contact with the community. He had multiple medical complications. He was laid to rest on Thursday.

His Qul were held on Friday which were attended by artists and art students from the National College of Arts (NCA) and Punjab University.

Iqbal Hussain’s work offered an insight into a way of life that is an ancient tradition, and portrays it with stark reality.

Hussain graduated from the NCA in 1974 and later taught at the college. After finishing his studies at the NCA in 1974, Hussain dedicated his career to painting women of his area–the red light area of Lahore. Iqbal was widely regarded as Pakistan’s most fearless painter, known for his bold, unapologetic art that gave voice to the women of Lahore’s Tibbi area, challenging societal taboos.

Through his powerful canvases, he documented lives often ignored, capturing pain, resilience and raw humanity with striking honesty. His work leaves behind a legacy that will continue to provoke thought, dialogue, and reflection for generations to come.

His teacher Salima Hashmi, the former principal of the NCA, speaking to Dawn said, “Iqbal was my student in the 1970s. He was a serious and quiet student. When he took admission to the NCA, he was the first person from the red light area to come and study at a college.

“He often shared with me that what a big achievement this was simply to become a student at the NCA, and he was so grateful for that always. He was so serious about his work that in the final year, he decided that the topic of his thesis should be his area which was known as the ‘red light area’ of Lahore and he was very conscious that he needed to show the women in a very sympathetic light as real people, not only as symbols,”

Ms Hashmi said Iqbal was very known for the studies of women of all ages in his area and their lives. He was very devoted to his teacher Prof Khalid Iqbal.

Renowned painter Prof Dr Ajaz Anwar said Iqbal Hussain was his colleague at the NCA. He was a good painter, very good at portraits.

“He wanted to hold an exhibition at Alhamra but he was not allowed, because he wanted to put on display at Alhamra portraits of the women from the red light area.”Mr Anwar added that as a painter Iqbal had his own individuality and used solid and glowing colours in his artworks.

Former executive director of Lahore Arts Council and visual artist Zulfiqar Zulfi said that Hussian was a master painter . He taught at Alhamra ArT Centre for 15 years as an art teacher and taught at the Lahore Art Gallery.

In the 1980s his exhibition, consisting of red light area women portraits, was not allowed to be exhibited at Alhamra and in protest, he put on display his paintings at the Mall Road.

Published in Dawn, January 24th, 2026