KARACHI, Oct 21: The country’s leading artists, Shahnaz Imam and friends of the late Syed Ali Imam, have put together an art exhibition that opens today (Tuesday) at the Indus Gallery.

Titled A Tribute to Ali Imam, the show comprises works by ‘who’s who’ of the art scene in Pakistan, honouring the memory of the art luminary who spent a lifetime promoting good art and encouraging young artists. Syed Ali Imam died in Karachi exactly five months ago.

A Tribute to Ali Imam has on display works by more than 50 celebrated fine artists, among them some of the rare pieces by the late painters such as Francis Newton Souza, Anna Molka Ahmed and Zahoorul Akhlaq. The hard-to-come-by paintings have been made available by various collectors for participation in the special show.

Canvases and frames of various sizes and media, presenting an impressive kaleidoscope of art in good taste, adorn the walls of the Indus Gallery in a tribute worthy of the

gallery’s late founder. A souvenir in the form of a book containing appraisals and writings by Ali Imam’s friends, artists, writers and critics, has been specially printed to mark the occasion.

Shahnaz Imam, now heir to Ali Imam’s legacy of managing the gallery and the weekly congregations of art lovers of all age groups, has decisively don the mantle of the gallery curator carrying the art luminary’s mission forward. She has been a partner in Ali Imam’s untiring endeavour to keep the flame of good taste alight since 1971, when the Indus Gallery was set up as the first professionally managed commercial art gallery in Pakistan.

The show will remain open to the public for a month hence, daily from 11am to 7:30pm, including Sundays and holidays. The Indus Gallery is situated at Ali Imam’s home: 50-A/1, Street 1, Bath Island.