A NEW WAVE OF CHUGHTAI FORGERIES DONE BY A KARACHI ARTIST; WITHOUT INFORMATION FORGING PERSONAL SIGNATURES AND SEALS.

A NEW WAVE OF CHUGHTAI FORGERIES DONE BY A KARACHI ARTIST;
WITHOUT INFORMATION FORGING PERSONAL SIGNATURES AND SEALS.

Chughtai Museum has known of the wave of forgeries being done both in Delhi and Karachi, but under a new game plan, the new forgeries border on utter recklessness. This is an urgent call to buyers to be aware of these people, and we know about them, but cannot take their names, as it involves a lot of other corrupt people and art dealers. The forger artist is in Karachi but is patronized by a host of very powerful people. But this is a wakeup call to him too. We have a signed confession of his which he has forgotten by this time.

This is a historical painting. In 1911 M.A. Rahman Chughtai got married to Wazeer un nisa and a boy was born to them a few years later. The boy died at child birth and left a scar on the face of the newlywed couple. They tried their best to have another child, but the lady developed womb cancer and could not have a child anymore. It was later that Chughtai artist got married again for a second time and had two children from his second wife. Chughtai rarely painted subjects like blindness, but he ended up painting this around 1918 or so, and the work was printed in Modern Review Calcutta at that time. It was entitled “Her Blind Child” at that time. Later the name was changed to “Remorse”. Remorse disappeared from scene and came up for auction in the western circle. It was bought by Dr Quraishi of USA from there. Later the kind and gracious man tried to auction it again but it went unsold. It is not known whether it changed hand or it is still with Dr Quraishi. An offer was made to the said gentleman to give the painting to us or exchange it with another one. But as he was getting aged, he lost interest in acquisitions. It is not known of the present whereabouts of same. 

It is utterly shameless on the part of the Karachi artist not only to continue to forge Chughtai works but with a new beginning to start forging signatures and seals, which can be clearly seen as ABSOLUTELY WRONG. THIS IS ALSO TO WARN PEOPLE AND ART COLLECTORS TO ASK US THE AUTHENTICITY OF WHATEVER THEY BUY. We are available all the time, just email us at “chughtaimuseumlahore@hotmail.com” for the quickest response possible. Obviously, we are not responsible in any way with the corrupt practices of an artist. May Jesus set his path right!

14TH AUGUST 1959 INAUGURATION PAKISTAN ARTS COUNCIL KARACHI; SPEECH ON EMBARGO BY PRESIDENT AYUB KHAN ON PAKISTANI ARTISTS.

14TH AUGUST 1959 INAUGURATION PAKISTAN ARTS COUNCIL KARACHI;
SPEECH ON EMBARGO BY PRESIDENT AYUB KHAN ON PAKISTANI ARTISTS.

A beautiful speech addressed to followers of Art in Pakistan and Pakistani artists. A historical chapter on Art in Pakistan. Recoded for the future. A page of our art history.

FIRST OFFICIAL SHOW OF PAINTINGS IN PAKISTAN, M.A. RAHMAN CHUGHTAI; INAUGURATION OF ALHAMRA ARTS COUNCIL KHAWAJA NAZIMUDDIN 1949; AMBASSADORS SPECIALLY FLEW FROM KARACHI TO VIEW THE SHOW

FIRST OFFICIAL SHOW OF PAINTINGS IN PAKISTAN, M.A. RAHMAN CHUGHTAI;
INAUGURATION OF ALHAMRA ARTS COUNCIL KHAWAJA NAZIMUDDIN 1949;
AMBASSADORS SPECIALLY FLEW FROM KARACHI TO VIEW THE SHOW

It was a grand event in the cultural history of Pakistan. It was well advertised and well known to people in and outside the country. Delegations came from all over the world. Chancellors from American Universities. Ambassadors flew to Lahore from Karachi. The Governor General of Pakistan, Khawaja Nazimud din to inaugurate the show. This was in conjunction with the inauguration of ALHAMRA ARTS COUNCIL. The idea discussed at the house of Begum Shahnawaz in 1946. An institution founded by M.A. Rahman Chughtai and he designed its first insignia, which is still valid to this day. He also gave it the name ALHAMRA. He set the whole tone for it. It was to reflect the kind of renaissance in culture which happened to Islamic Arts in Spain. Everything was forward looking.

The first foreign Head of State to visit Pakistan was the Shahinshah of Iran and he too visited the show along with the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Liaquat Ali Khan. It can be seen in the press photograph too. The place Alhamra was like a second home to us and we visited it often. M.A. Rahman Chughtai even planted many mango trees there. The object to bring Pakistan to the fore front of the Art world.

Men of culture governed Alhamra. Then Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto thrusted it into bureaucratic orbit and nincompoops came one after the other, to loot the spoils of war. From the refinement of Fine Arts and Classical music, it was set for stage dramas of the most vulgar kind. Imtiaz Ali Taj must be crumbling in his grave as to what happened here. The place was used to rent out for Shadi ghars and what not? The making of the new building was so defective that the roof gave in one day. Even now we see work going on in the roof. Contractors busy at looting governmental money. Suffice to say we all understand that. There are those who deny even Chughtais association with the place. Documentary evidence speak otherwise. We wish Kamran Lashari, the best in his venture to upgrade Alhamra back into form. But like many other things in Pakistan, this is just another RAW deal.

A GREAT ART EVENT IN PAKISTAN’S HISTORY 14TH AUGUST 1959 ; INAUGURATION OF KARACHI ARTS COUNCIL WITH ART WORKS OF ABDUR RAHMAN CHUGHTAI NATIONAL ARTIST OF PAKISTAN

A GREAT ART EVENT IN PAKISTAN’S HISTORY 14TH AUGUST 1959;
INAUGURATION OF KARACHI ARTS COUNCIL WITH ART WORKS OF ABDUR RAHMAN CHUGHTAI NATIONAL ARTIST OF PAKISTAN

Inaugural Show of Arts Council Karachi 1959

Media is nowadays suffering an amnesia about the past of Pakistan. All they can see is the worst of Pakistan and that they show at the behest of foreign lobbies, for those lobbies pay them enough to do things allergic to the Identity of Pakistan. Pakistan made great strides in the world even in its worst circumstances. Like the past Heads of State, President Ayub Khan also promoted the Arts in his way. Finances were released for the new ARTS COUNCIL building in Karachi and it was inaugurated with an Art show of the works of M.A. Rahman Chughtai. One of the biggest shows in the history of Pakistan with hundreds of works by the artist. The speech Ayub Khsan read is with us and we will give it another time. Till then just enjoy a vision of the show.

Art activities in Karachi started with M.A. Rahman Chughtai’s show. Previously in 1952 Governor General Ghulam Muhammed Khan had also inaugurated a show,. And in 1949 Governor General Khawaja Nazimuddin at Arts Council Lahore. All Arts Councils in Pakistan were inaugurated with shows of M.A. Rahman Chughtai, including the one in Peshawer and in Dacca. More on that later. Enjoy!

GOLDEN CHANCE OF A CHUGHTAI ONE MAN SHOW IN LONDON; TIMING SABOTAGED BY THE FOREIGN MINISTRY PAKISTAN 1966.

GOLDEN CHANCE OF A CHUGHTAI ONE MAN SHOW IN LONDON;
TIMING SABOTAGED BY THE FOREIGN MINISTRY PAKISTAN 1966.

Field Marshal President Ayub Khan was responsible for inaugurating many exhibitions shows of M.A. Rahman Chughtai. But these were one man shows in Pakistan. The agenda was a one man show in London at the Commonwealth Institute. A large number of original paintings were selected and reservations made in London. The President was supposed to be in London on 24th November, 1966, to host the Queen of England at the Commonwealth institute. Plans were made to coincide the visit with the arrival of the President and to the reception given to Queen Elizabeth. The Foreign Minister did not want the President to get that publicity and managed to change the time table of the show. President received the Queen on 24th November, 1966, while the exhibition was scheduled days later on 11th December, 1966. Just 17 days off the big event.

Chughtai Sahib had cooperated with that event and sent a large number of his paintings to the show. The attendance to the show was of 4545 people. The artist was heavily disappointed, for in his views a place like London would attract millions to an event like that. It was the rivalry between the changed Foreign Minister and the President of Pakistan, and the issues of the Tashkent declaration, which destroyed the importance of this event. In any case the One-Man show was held, but strangely was not even properly reviewed in the English Press. Certainly, politics had enslaved culture at that time. The Art of Chughtai is ever alive. The people who opposed him are no more. A blot on their reputation as cultural people. President Ayub Khan compensated for that by inaugurating a One-man show at Alhamra, Lahore on 30th December, 1968, which is a separate story, and we will deal with it soon.