Shakir Ali, the great painter of Pakistan, born in 1914, left a huge mark as both a painter and a teacher on artists and painters of the country, sub continent and around the world.
Ali was famous for his work which revolves around human emotions, thoughts, pain and pleasures. He not only felt that all aspects of human nature but also showed them in his work through lines, colours and paint.
One of the major pieces of art, created by Shakir Ali is his own house which has now been turned into Shakir Ali Mueseum in Lahore handled by Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA).
According to a representative of PNCA, Shakir Ali took part, made and chose every brick and door hinge by him and that is why it took almost 10 years to complete (1964 to 1975).
The brick house-turned- museum has the appearance of an art piece. Right in front of its main entrance is a huge portrait of Shakir Ali himself in black and white, painted by one of his students.
On the right hand side of the main door are degrees, diplomas of the painter with a brief bio data of the maestro hanging above them.
On the left is living and dining room of the house-turned museum where paintings of Shakir Ali, his students and artifacts and antiques purchased by the painter are decorated on the wall.
The dining room is simply stunning with paintings of his students on the wall and two windows opening towards front lawn. The furniture in this room was gifted to Shakir Ali, while wooden pillars were brought from Swat by the maestro himself.
Beside the living room or main room, there is bedroom of Shakir Ali holding a simple yet magnificent feel of art. The room has two beds covered in traditional Sindhi style bed sheets, while statue of a girl is sitting right beside the bed.
The walls of this room have photographs of Shakir Ali giving authenticity to the bedroom.
After climbing some steps on the right side of bedroom, is painting display room of Shakir Ali where his famous work is on the display. This room or gallery has beautiful windows style as three windows in a row opened in the back lawn.
The PNCA representative told the scribe that the paintings hanging between gaps of windows were done by Shakir Ali according to width of the windows.
The study of the maestro is above this gallery where he used to start his work and also attended the visitors, especially his old students, said the PNCA representative.
The scribe also came to know that till day painters and students come into the museum and do their work freely under the paintings of great Shakir Ali.
The museum has a basement too where, according to PNCA, the work of young painters are displayed on rotation basis and small exhibitions are also conducted by the authority.
The back lawn of the museum has a stunning view of house from where it looks like an old castle.
According to PNCA, different programmes, workshops and events are organised in this lawn and celebrities, poets, writers and artists attend them on regular basis. There was a poster of famous writer Mustansar Hussain Tarar on side wall of lawn as PNCA just celebrated his birthday in the lawn by conducting a sitting for him.
Unfortunately, Shakir Ali passed away just after a year (1975) of completion of his house. The house is a clear proof of the genius that was Shakir Ali. The house was brought by Pakistani government from his sister and turned into a museum.
The museum has now his famous paintings, photographs of his life, his portraits done by other artists and art pieces gifted by his students.
The PNCA representative also told the scribe that some of the paintings in museum were completed by the maestro after he came here which are according to structure of the house.
Shakir Ali most certainly left a deep impact on painters of his era and of coming times. Without his mention, the history of Pakistan painting cannot be completed.
During his life and after his death he was given numerous awards and memorials by both government and his followers. On August 14, 2006, Pakistani government issued postal stamps to honor Shakir Ali as the greatest artist of the country.
PNCA arranged a yearly celebration of the work of Shakir Ali from March 6, 2016 to March 7, 2016 during which several seminars, exhibitions and sittings were arranged. Artists, writers and painters gave him the tribute and expressed that Shakir Ali modernized the painting in Pakistan to large extend and through his work, he not only showed the miseries of human beings but also painted the emotions and pleasures of his fellow beings.
The gap left by him will not be filled as artists like him are rare and born in centuries as their work does not contain to a specific time rather adequate for all generations.