Lot 102: Zahoor ul Akhlaq (1941-1999) , Untitled Ink on paper

Ink on paper

23 by 17 3/4 in. (58.5 by 45 cm.)

Roger Connah, Zahoor-ul-Akhlaq, Toronto, 2000, p. 68 illustrated

Zahoor ul Akhlaq often spoke of being captivated by the 'rhythm' of calligraphy. In this abstract, text-like drawing, he uses calligraphy in what the art writer Dr. Akbar Naqvi described as a 'conceptual text' (Image and Identity, Karachi, 1998). While Akhlaq's contribution to a reinvention of the miniature tradition is well documented, his work with the calligraphic form is less well explored. This work is a strong example of his explorations of the text as sign.