Staff Report
KARACHI: Bashir Mirza, a renowned artist of Pakistan, is being remembered on his death anniversary today (Thursday).

Bashir Mirza was born at Amritsar (India) in 1941. He migrated to Pakistan in 1947 and got a diploma in design from National College of Art, Lahore in 1962.

Bashir Mirza emerged in the art world with a solo exhibition of angry drawings voicing protest against oppressors in 1963, at Karachi, at the residence of the Nigerian ambassador.

In 1966, he expressed his rage and indignation again after the September, 1965 war with India. In the same year he produced more subtle work in form of a portfolio of face studies called “Portrait of Pakistan”. Bashir Mirza started painting abstract compositions in 1967.

In 1969 he went back to drawing the nude human figure. After a couple of years wanderings in Germany he returned and showed in 1971 – the exhibition was called “The Lonely Girl Series”.

His next series (1978) was called “The Flower Girl Series” which was less impressive but still distinctive.

In 1980 he used the subject of miniature painting in easel sized painting. He did little painting after starting an ad agency in 1982. However, in 1989 he surfaced again as a painter.

From 1990 till death (2000) he had been painting in thick brush strokes vigorously applied, under the influence of the Indian artist F.N. Souza, but with brighter colors and more attractive forms, and with great spontaneity.

He was awarded President's Award for the Pride of Performance in 1994. SAMAA