Forum Pakistan

Allah Bakhsh, Ustad (1885-1978)
Artist. Allah Bakhsh was an informally trained painter whose first personal exhibition was staged in Lahore in 1903. Between 1904 and 1932, Allah Bakhsh taught and painted. In 1960, he was awarded the Tamgha-iPakistan (Pakistan Medal). He belongs to the older generation of traditionalist artists, trained in the traditions of the Mughal school of *miniature and ancient Indian wall paintings.

Allah Bakhsh's works depict the history and culture of the peoples of the *Punjab. His trademark is a clearly defined main figure, both in his portraits and his genre scenes, with many figures against the background of a landscape stressing the subject's mood. The way the Ustad positions some figures, as if they are going beyond the frame, gives the impression that the figure is in action. Also characteristic of Allah Bakhsh's works is a richness of colour scheme, always in tune with the nature of the action. Light modelling of faces and the use of deep shadows in his figure painting makes the Ustad's art somewhat similar to wall paintings. He painted portraits in the 'realistic' manner: his male images are monumental, while the female ones (in the best traditions of the miniature) are very feminine and beautiful.

Some of the main works of Allah Bakhsh are A Poet in the Garden, The Blind Singer, Ploughing with Oxen, and In the Family of Weavers.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: 'Paintings from Pakistan', Islamabad, 1988.