Realism to Calligraphic Cubism (Hardback)

Description

The decade of the 1960s represents the most explosive period of Sadequain’s artistic genius, when he defined new idioms and developed his unique iconography while living in Paris, France. He invented new artistic forms, which, it can be argued, had not been explored before. Yet, this phase of Sadequain’s odyssey remains most elusive, because majority of his work of this era remained locked in the attics and basements of Parisian galleries and homes. From the beginning of 2008 and lasting through 2010, there was a flurry of activity in the sale of Sadequain’s artwork in France. All the sellers of the artwork were French nationals. This begs the obvious question: what prompted this sudden burst of activity after more than 40 years since Sadequain left several hundred, or perhaps thousands of pieces of his artwork in Paris for safe keeping? Equally important, where did the artwork come from, what was its exact source? In December of 1960, Sadequain was invited to France by the French Committee of International Association of Plastic Arts. He was awarded a stipend for six months to live and work in France. In the absence of historical notes, it is assumed that the invitation from the French organization was under a cultural exchange program. Sadequain extended his initial visit of a few months to seven years of intermittent living and working in Paris, during which period he executed thousands of paintings and drawings. This book is a chronological trail of Sadequain’s incredible journey from Karachi, where, at early stages of his career, he diligently experimented with realist pen and ink endeavors, and a decade later moved to Paris, where he invented ground breaking fresh forms of calligraphic cubism. These stunning calligraphic forms defined Sadequain’s future work and established him as a master in the same vein as Picasso is considered as the father of cubism or Monet is credited for initiating the impressionist movement. A major portion of this book is based on translation of Sadequain’s letters which he wrote to his family during the 1960s when he was residing in France and traveling within Europe and to the USA. This book will also establish that Sadequain, while still residing in Paris during 1967, left for Pakistan on an unscheduled visit for personal reasons and left behind a great number of paintings and drawings in custody of his acquaintances and gallery owners in Paris for safe keeping. These paintings remained dormant for decades until the price of his artwork started to rise dramatically in the first decade of the 21st century. At this juncture, the safe keepers of Sadequain’s artwork, who never made an honest attempt of returning the artwork to Sadequain’s family, were lured into cashing in the windfall. Sadequain, as is widely known, did not sell his art. “What, sell art like vegetables?” he questioned when another prominent artist contemplated and proposed establishing a commercial gallery in partnership with Sadequain during the 1960s. Thus the question: if he did not consider selling his art, then why would he condone others to sell it, especially those who acquired it through dubious means?