as soon as we saw him, we knew who he was. there were three of us walking together, three young teenagers braving the world of art, barely beginning to gain a footing in simple art techniques. we tried to be discreet but we were gawking.
he saw us and (shockingly) invited us to open the gate and join him in his garden. he caught sight of our sketchbooks and asked us if we were art students. we talked to him for a while, telling him about our art classes, and then one of the girls asked for his autograph. he offered to draw something for each of us. we couldn’t believe it! this was 4 years before he passed away (at 57) so he was an international star, an art giant, a legend.
we opened our sketchbooks and offered him a pen. with a few elegant lines he drew beautiful faces and signed his name. my turn came last. fearless as i was in those days, i asked for more. i said, pls write my name too, so it’s for me specifically, not just a random work of art. he complied graciously and asked me for the spelling of my name.
here u see it, in this sketch from 1983. my given name is mahrukh, which is farsi for face as beautiful as the moon (for people who live in hot countries, the moon means coolness, love and beauty in a way that’s hard to understand here).
in conclusion, sadequain’s lofty socialist values and magnanimity were real. i experienced his humility and generosity firsthand and i will always treasure the gift of this brief intersection of our lives.
#sadequain #sadequainart #islamabad #art #artclasses #sketching #oilpainting #pakistan #calligraphy #islamicart #murals #storytelling #storytime
