LAHORE: Punjab University on Monday organised a seminar titled “Innovation and Conflict in the 1920s: Chughtai in Lahore, the Tagores in Calcutta and Trinidade” at the Post-Graduate Research Centre of Creative Arts at College of Art and Design (PUCAD).

The event offered an in-depth exploration of artistic developments in South Asia during a transformative historical period.

Renowned art historian Prof Marcella Sirhandi, Professor Emeritus of Asian Art History at Oklahoma State University, USA, was the chief guest.

In her lecture, she presented meticulous historical research examining cultural intersections in art, with particular emphasis on innovation, political conflict, Partition-era transitions, and royal patronage.

Prof Sirhandi analysed the works and contexts of Abdur Rahman Chughtai in Lahore, members of the Tagore family in Calcutta, and Angelo da Fonseca Trinidade, highlighting the dynamic exchanges that shaped modern Indian and Pakistani artistic identities in the 1920s.

Her comprehensive engagement with modern South Asian painters sparked a thought-provoking discussion, followed by an interactive question-and-answer session with participants.

The seminar was attended by prominent academicians including Dr Samina Nasim, Principal, College of Art & Design, Dr. Kanwal Khalid, Saba Hussain, Dr. Irum Zia Raja, Mr. Khalid Sarhandi and Mr. Irfan, along with faculty members and researchers.

The event was organised with keen interest by Prof Dr Naela Aamir, Director of the Research Centre, and Dr Samina Nasim, Principal of the College of Art and Design.

Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2026