NYAB Event - Sadequain “Exaltations”

Sadequain “Exaltations”

Aicon Gallery

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Aicon Gallery is proud to present the second major exhibition held in New York of the work of Sadequain, Pakistan’s most renowned and celebrated modernist painter. The exhibition includes rare works painted and left behind by the artist in Paris during the late 1960s. This body of work, now known as The Lost Exhibition, evinces Sadequain’s radically innovative calligraphic style of the period, while the individual works stand as some of the most formally commanding and revolutionary paintings of the artist’s long and prolific career.

Though Sadequain’s oeuvre is by no means limited to his calligraphic works, these paintings represent the pinnacle of his uniquely innovative approach, which allowed for calligraphy to be adapted into South Asian Modern art practices. Kufic, the oldest-known script in Arabic is characterized by angular strokes punctuated by dots and accents. The letters and words that sweep across Sadequain’s calligraphic canvases embody a richness of form and color that swirl together in majestic embrace. Sadequain explained how each letter in his calligraphic style exemplifies its own personality, mood, and character. Some are playful and radiant while others are thoughtful and dark. There is an intimate relationship between artist and artwork. Sadequain took the role of both painter and poet, fusing the two arts into a single, harmonious masterpiece.

“My paintings recite the poems that flow within them. Now I compose poetry to compliment my painting.”

In these paintings, Sadequain explored these new calligraphic forms, while maintaining their scriptural origins. In Islamic culture, calligraphy is seen to be the most dignified and representative element of the visual arts. To capture its intellectual beauty, Sadequain portrayed verses in varied shades and forms. Bold spectrums of color convey the mood and time of day, manipulating the imagery via an activated texture. This body of work represents both a spiritual and mystical artistic endeavor. If art imitates life, then its relationship with society defines the quintessential forms of our human existence. It was this belief through which Sadequain strove to explore and define the dichotomy between academic ideals and implicit realities throughout his career. To him, art was innovation and expression of truth, not merely a craft.

The same radical blending of tradition and innovation runs throughout the entirety of this exhibition, which centers around a unique thirty one-piece calligraphic series titled Sura-e-Rehman (Praise of the Lord). This iconic set of canvases represents the artist’s rendition of the sacred Quranic verse in which the Creator reminds mankind of the bountiful world that he has provided. Kufic inscriptions of the past were to preserve the mysticism and power of the letters. Sadequain’s paintings allow these surreal expressions to transcend the canvas and bring us to an exalted state. Many of the paintings in the exhibit pre-date the Parisian period, as well as a host of the artist’s drawings. However, the Parisian works on view remain the most elusive, due to the artist’s sudden departure from France in early spring of 1967, having promised to return in a few days’ time. Sadequain never returned to Paris, nor did he retrieve his belongings amongst which stood these magnificent paintings. The majority of work from this era remained locked in the attics and basements of Parisian galleries and private residences, and has only begun to emerge in recent years due to the collecting and cataloging efforts of the Sadequain Foundation, with whom Aicon is jointly sponsoring the current exhibition, providing for a rare showing of these works in New York.