Zahoor ul Akhlaq

Zahoor ul Akhlaq (February 4, 1941 - January 18, 1999) was a pioneering artist from Pakistan who was murdered in 1999along with his daughter, Jahanara Akhlaq. Akhlaq is known for hisdisciplined approach to painting, sculpture and architecture,his teaching at the NCA (National College of Arts) in Lahore and the significant way he continued to take his own art off the page, and beyond the tradition of the Miniature to include a serious interrogative critical and cultural practice.

Background and Family life

Born in Delhi, India, he was the eldest of 11 children. [ [http://www.laal.info/z_bio.asp?pg=selectedbiography LAAL ] ] In 1971, he married [Sheherezade Alam] , a potter, and the couple had 2 daughters, Jahanara, (b.1974), Nurjahan (b.1979).

Education

* 1958-62, National Diploma in Fine Art; National College of Arts - Lahore, Pakistan
* 1966-67, Post graduate studies: Hornsey college of Arts, London;
* 1968-69, post graduate studies: Royal College of Arts, London;
* 1987 -89, post doctoral studies: Fulbright Research Fellowship at the Yale Institute of Sacred Music; Religion and the Arts, Yale University, USA and at Yale School of Arts and Architecture, Yale University.

elected shows (partial list)

*1964 National exhibition, Lahore
*1962 Solo exhibition, Karachi National Exhibition, Rawalpindi
*1963 'Communication Through Art', Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi and Dhaka (Pakistan and Bangladesh)
*Solo exhibition, Karachi
*1965 RCD Biennale, Tehran (Iran), 2nd prize
*National exhibition of arts, Dhaka
*Solo exhibition, Art Galleries, Rawalpindi
*Joint exhibition, Ministry of Culture, Now York and Montreal
*1967 Museum of Modern Arts; Paris Also four exhibitions in London and Oxford, England.
*1969 Lahore Museum
*Post graduate show, Royal College of Art, London
*1970 'Painting in Pakistan', travelling exhibition, 26 countries
*1974 Solo exhibition, Pakistan Arts Council, Karachi
*1975 'Graphics In Pakistan', Italy
*1976 Sao Paolo Biennale (Brazil)
*1981 Solo exhibition, Pakistan National Council of the Arts, Islamabad
*1982 Hershorn Museum, Washington D.C.
*'Thirty Five Years of Painting in Punjab', Lahore Asian Festival; Tokyo
*1983 Represented Pakistan in Asian Festival of Art, Dhaka
*1988 joint exhibition, Yale Institute of Sacred Music, Religion and the Arts, Yale University (USA)
*1989 Solo exhibition, Yale University Solo exhibition, Galerie Mont Calm Hull, Canada
*Solo exhibitions at Rohtas Gallery, Islamabad in 1982, 1990, 1992
*Solo exhibitions at Chowkundi Gallery, Karachi, in 1986, 1990, 1991 and 1993

Commissions and collections

* Gallery Borgeson, Malmo, Sweden
* Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris, France
* Wallraf Richartz Museum, Cologne, Germany
* Bibliotheque Royale, Brussels, Belgium
* British Council, London, UK
* Argyll Collection (England)
* Hiroshima Museum, Hiroshima, Japan
* Print Making Workshop, New York, USA
* National Gallery, Islamabad, Pakistan
* Embassies of Pakistan in Kuala Lumpur, London, Dacca, Delhi
* Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey
* Lalit Kala Academy, Delhi, India
* National Museum, Amman, Jordan

Academic appointments

* 1963-91 Lecturer in Art, then Assistant Professor, Associate Professor and finally full Professor of Art and Head of Department in the Faculty of Fine Arts, National College of Arts, Lahore from 1979 until his retirement
* 1991-'92 Visiting Professor at the Department of Fine Arts, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey
* 1994-'95 Visiting Professor, Ontario College of Art, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Memorials

The gallery at National College of Arts, Lahore is named in his memory. [ [http://nca.edu.pk/gallery.htm National College of Arts Lahore ] ]

Postage Stamp

On 14th August 2006, Pakistan Post issued a Rs. 40 sheetlet to posthumous honour 10 Pakistani Painters. Besides Zahoor ul Akhlaq, the other 9 painters are: Laila Shahzada, Askari Mian Irani, Sadequain, Ali Imam, Shakir Ali, Anna Molka Ahmed, Zubeida Agha, Ahmed Pervez and Bashir Mirza.

Award

In recognition of his services, he was posthumously awarded the President's Award for Pride of Performance in 2005.

References

External links

* [http://www.lailashahzada.com/Recognition/Stamps/Default.aspx Ten Great Painters Stamps by Pakistan Post]
* [http://www.laal.info/about01.asp?stage=2&pg=nothing LAAL- Celebrating the National Treasures of Pakistan]
* [http://www.shelleys.demon.co.uk/zahoor.htm In Memoriam for Professor Zahoor ul Akhlaq and his daughter Jahanara ]
* [http://www.newsline.com.pk/Newsnov2003/artlinenov.htm Tribute to a Master - Newsline article by Niilofur Farrukh]
* [http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/pmpk/hd_pmpk.htm Postmodernism:Recent Developments in Art in Pakistan and Bangladesh]
* [http://www.pakpost.gov.pk/stamps2006.html Posthumous tribute to Ten Great Painters by Pakistan Post]