Afsar Madad Naqvi
Encyclopedia
Syed Afsar Madad Naqvi , was one of the twentieth century's great sculptors. He is best known for his pure realistic monumental sculpture
s which can be seen in many places around the country (such as Roshan Khan/Jahangir Khan Squash Complex, Fleet Club, Arts Council
of Pakistan
, Markaz-e-Sadaat-e-Amroha Centre, Hasan Square Karachi
, Star Gate Karachi, Quaid-e-Azam International Airport, Village Restaurant, Metropol Hotel etc.). Afsar Madad Naqvi was a master Pakistan
i sculptor and painter. He was a founder member of the Central Institute of Arts and Crafts Karachi
.
, India
. Diploma and Post-diploma from the Government College of Arts and Crafts, Lucknow
, India
. Trained under renowned sculptor Mohammad Hanif at Lucknow Arts College in the early 60’s.
, marble, stone and clay.
He came to Pakistan
in 1962 and shortly after that and had a solo show at the Karachi Arts Council Hall, which was also the country’s first solo sculpture exhibition. When Mr. Nawabzada Wajid Mehmood founded the Central Institute of Arts and Crafts, he requested him to set up the sculpture studio and he have lived up to this responsibility since then.
Afsar Naqvi was sculptor, traditionalist, loyal friend and affectionate teacher. He had a huge following of artists in Pakistan
, most of whom were his students.
His acute observation of detail, timeless dedication to craftsmanship and the innate soul of a master allows him to breathe life into any work of art from delicate pencil sketch to monumental sculptures and that is truly make him one of the world’s top artists.
Friend and contemporary to leading artists and literary figures, Afsar Naqvi is a quiet, retiring man and has spent the better part of the last twenty five years teaching sculpture to a generation of artists at the Institute. In his work, Sir Naqvi is an exponent of the Eastern idiom. His deep rooted aesthetics of the sub-continental culture bond us to the past. Many art scholar would have us believe that Mughal miniature and folk art
are our only heritage when Classical Indian Art
forms the very core of this region’s art history
.
He was highly skilled in his craft, his long finger nimbly created small figurines in clay while he carried on with his discussions, as if they had a life of their own. While fame eluded him as a Master Sculptor his skills earned high great respect and his advise was always sought in technical matters, for which he was seldom financially compensated.
Afsar Naqvi’s vision and aesthetics was indelibly etched into his own creative expression and his drive to achieve the same level of perfection in his master work.
, India
1960 - Diploma and Post-diploma- Government College of Arts and Crafts Lucknow
, India
1962 - Migration- Pakistan
, Karachi
1962 - Joined Central Institute of Art & Crafts, Karachi
as Head of Sculpture Department
1963 - Solo Exhibition- Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi
1969 - Solo Exhibition- Pakistan American Cultural Centre (P.A.C.C.)
1971 - Solo Exhibition- Indus Gallery, Karachi
1975 - Solo Exhibition- Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi
1985 - Group Exhibition- The Fifth National Arts Exhibition, Idara Saqafat -e- Pakistan
1992 - Joined North City School of Art & Architecture, Karachi
as Principle and Head of Fine Art (Sculpture) Department
1995 - Founded Bhittai Institute of Art & Crafts
1997 - Death
1997 - Solo Exhibition - A tribute to Afsar Madad Naqvi, Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi
. He has done lot of master piece sculptures in wood, metal, plaster, cement and terra-cotta
. Indian Classical sculpture, Naqvi’s ability to be able to capture in wood, stone or metal the essence of a narrative moment with a dramatic naturalistic realism.
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
s which can be seen in many places around the country (such as Roshan Khan/Jahangir Khan Squash Complex, Fleet Club, Arts Council
Arts council
An arts council is a government or private, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the arts mainly by funding local artists, awarding prizes, and organizing events at home and abroad...
of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, Markaz-e-Sadaat-e-Amroha Centre, Hasan Square Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, Star Gate Karachi, Quaid-e-Azam International Airport, Village Restaurant, Metropol Hotel etc.). Afsar Madad Naqvi was a master Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
i sculptor and painter. He was a founder member of the Central Institute of Arts and Crafts Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
.
Early life and education
Afsar Madad Naqvi was born in 1933 at AmrohaAmroha
Amroha is a small town in the north-western Uttar Pradesh state in northern India. It is located north-west of Moradabad, near the Sot River...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Diploma and Post-diploma from the Government College of Arts and Crafts, Lucknow
Lucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Trained under renowned sculptor Mohammad Hanif at Lucknow Arts College in the early 60’s.
Career
He was one of the few qualified sculptors who could teach the technique of making life-size armature, simple casting and multiple casting with permanent moulds. He worked with great ease and facility in metals, wood, cement, plaster of ParisPlaster
Plaster is a building material used for coating walls and ceilings. Plaster starts as a dry powder similar to mortar or cement and like those materials it is mixed with water to form a paste which liberates heat and then hardens. Unlike mortar and cement, plaster remains quite soft after setting,...
, marble, stone and clay.
He came to Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
in 1962 and shortly after that and had a solo show at the Karachi Arts Council Hall, which was also the country’s first solo sculpture exhibition. When Mr. Nawabzada Wajid Mehmood founded the Central Institute of Arts and Crafts, he requested him to set up the sculpture studio and he have lived up to this responsibility since then.
Afsar Naqvi was sculptor, traditionalist, loyal friend and affectionate teacher. He had a huge following of artists in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, most of whom were his students.
His acute observation of detail, timeless dedication to craftsmanship and the innate soul of a master allows him to breathe life into any work of art from delicate pencil sketch to monumental sculptures and that is truly make him one of the world’s top artists.
Friend and contemporary to leading artists and literary figures, Afsar Naqvi is a quiet, retiring man and has spent the better part of the last twenty five years teaching sculpture to a generation of artists at the Institute. In his work, Sir Naqvi is an exponent of the Eastern idiom. His deep rooted aesthetics of the sub-continental culture bond us to the past. Many art scholar would have us believe that Mughal miniature and folk art
Folk art
Folk art encompasses art produced from an indigenous culture or by peasants or other laboring tradespeople. In contrast to fine art, folk art is primarily utilitarian and decorative rather than purely aesthetic....
are our only heritage when Classical Indian Art
Indian art
Indian Art is the visual art produced on the Indian subcontinent from about the 3rd millennium BC to modern times. To viewers schooled in the Western tradition, Indian art may seem overly ornate and sensuous; appreciation of its refinement comes only gradually, as a rule. Voluptuous feeling is...
forms the very core of this region’s art history
Art history
Art history has historically been understood as the academic study of objects of art in their historical development and stylistic contexts, i.e. genre, design, format, and style...
.
He was highly skilled in his craft, his long finger nimbly created small figurines in clay while he carried on with his discussions, as if they had a life of their own. While fame eluded him as a Master Sculptor his skills earned high great respect and his advise was always sought in technical matters, for which he was seldom financially compensated.
Afsar Naqvi’s vision and aesthetics was indelibly etched into his own creative expression and his drive to achieve the same level of perfection in his master work.
Biography (by year)
1933 - Born- AmrohaAmroha
Amroha is a small town in the north-western Uttar Pradesh state in northern India. It is located north-west of Moradabad, near the Sot River...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
1960 - Diploma and Post-diploma- Government College of Arts and Crafts Lucknow
Lucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
1962 - Migration- Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
1962 - Joined Central Institute of Art & Crafts, Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
as Head of Sculpture Department
1963 - Solo Exhibition- Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
1969 - Solo Exhibition- Pakistan American Cultural Centre (P.A.C.C.)
1971 - Solo Exhibition- Indus Gallery, Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
1975 - Solo Exhibition- Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
1985 - Group Exhibition- The Fifth National Arts Exhibition, Idara Saqafat -e- Pakistan
1992 - Joined North City School of Art & Architecture, Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
as Principle and Head of Fine Art (Sculpture) Department
1995 - Founded Bhittai Institute of Art & Crafts
1997 - Death
1997 - Solo Exhibition - A tribute to Afsar Madad Naqvi, Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
Specialization
Specialized in portrature, mural work, and terra-cottaTerra cotta
Terracotta, Terra cotta or Terra-cotta is a clay-based unglazed ceramic, although the term can also be applied to glazed ceramics where the fired body is porous and red in color...
. He has done lot of master piece sculptures in wood, metal, plaster, cement and terra-cotta
Terra cotta
Terracotta, Terra cotta or Terra-cotta is a clay-based unglazed ceramic, although the term can also be applied to glazed ceramics where the fired body is porous and red in color...
. Indian Classical sculpture, Naqvi’s ability to be able to capture in wood, stone or metal the essence of a narrative moment with a dramatic naturalistic realism.
External links
- http://www.amroha.net.pk/internal/afsar_madad_1.htm
- http://afsarnaqvi.wordpress.com/
- http://www.amrohatimes.com/php/personalities.php
- http://fasihuddinqureshi.com/index.htm