[Book Design] A Journey in Colours - Khaleeq Ashfaq Khan

A Journey in Colours Khaleeq Ashfaq Khan Taru

Author | Taru Taru is an architect, who has completed her B.Arch from Faculty of Architecture and Ekistics, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi and is now pursuing her Masters Degree in City and Regional Planning, Cornell University, New York. As a student and an architect, she has been a prolific writer and has published in international journals and won awards in architecture journalism. She finds immense pleasure in exploring and learning from varied cultures and skillsets. Her penchant for traveling, her inherent appreciation for beauty and her training in architecture has given an appreciation of great art. It was this respect, appreciation and commitment towards Indian art that helped her contribute towards this compendium. She hopes that Indian art keeps growing and that we as a community grow enough to revere our great artists and honor their work, as their counter-parts are in the rest of the world.

Co-author | Yasir Hameed Yasir is an architect, who has completed his B.Arch from Faculty of Architecture and Ekistics, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. After a brief teaching stint at J.M.I, he is now pursuing his Masters Degree in City and Regional Planning, at the University of California at Berkeley. His father, Mr. Salman Hameed, although a civil engineer by profession, is an avid artist himself and this has created likewise a keen interest in him to observe, interpret and appreciate pieces of art and contemporary cultural movements.

A Journey in Colours Khaleeq Ashfaq Khan

A Journey in Colours Khaleeq Ashfaq Khan

Taru

studio square

Contents studio square 6

Foreword by

7

Preface

8

Acknowledgment

9

Concept

Printed at: Solar Print Process Pvt. Ltd, New Delhi, Phone: 011-40630000 | solar@spppl.in

10

The Early Days

Author and Co-author | Taru and Yasir Hameed

12

Making of the Artist

Š2014, Taru and Yasir Hameed

16

Career

20

Figurative and Landscape Paintings

Front Cover & Back cover| Detail of Dahlias, 1964 (Page 101)

48

Wash Paintings

Graphic Design | Studio Square

64

Portraits

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any other information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

86

Still life and Flowers

106

Timeline

107

Glossary

First published in 2014 in New Delhi , India ISBN| 978-93-5174-689-8

For more copies of this book email ar.yasirhameed@gmail.com Editing and Research | Salman Hameed Siddiqui and Yasir Hameed

All attempts were made to seek permission for use from the authors of all images taken from secondary sources and cite the same. However, on certain instances (page no. 14 and 107) the authors of the images could not be traced.

Foreword |

Preface | Taru

It has been a reward to be requested to write a foreword on this book on the art of the artist Khaleeq Ashfaq Khan. His art ranges from still-life to landscapes, portraits to narrative, in the mediums of oil, watercolors and tempera, techniques like wash, in what one may term as ‘impressionistic’. What is remarkable of the artist, under discussion, is his productivity, his commitment to a particular school of painting.

All connoisseurs of art understand and share the zeal to conserve and perpetuate great art. This commitment has seen many move mountains and construct a multitude of galleries, museums and has resulted in many publications. After all, there is no greater tragedy than the loss of an exquisite piece of art that embodies within itself the passion and commitment that an artist sacrifices at the altar of his work. Mr. Salman Hameed Siddiqui initiated this project. He feared, and with good reasons, that without a timely intervention, the world would lose some of the most lustrous works of art that India has produced in the post-independence era. There are very few artists in India with the same commitment and calibre as Mr. Khaleeq Ashfaq Khan. Though our current infrastructure and public consciousness towards art is not as refined or committed towards the less titillating art forms – no one who understands the fine art of painting would have brooked the loss of these paintings with equanimity. The near destruction of few of the invaluable paintings stored at Mr. Khan’s residence due to an unmanageable circumstances made this an urgent and essential exercise.

Wash painting comes from the traditions established in Lucknow by the students of the Bengal School of Art, initiated under the great Indian artist Abanindranath Tagore along with E.B. Havell. The two believed that Indian nationalist aspirations need to find expression in the art. This nationalist art, as it were, should explore the Indian sources and Asian traditions of visual culture. S.R. Khastgir, was a brilliant exponent of this particular artistic sentiment and as the principal at the Lucknow College of Art, well into 1960s, was successful in establishing a strong tradition of wash technique that formed the college syllabi and curriculum. It is therefore a surprise today to know that this very art tradition, nurtured and extended in Lucknow College of Art, is no longer being taught.

I am sure this book, written and produced with passion by his students and admirers will find its due place in the libraries of art schools and private collections. I think, its importance would be to bring to public domain a body of work of an artist who continues to paint, in the manner that still has its audience and admirers, but, for many factors, cannot be said to be central to ‘modernity’ that in Indian art took diverse trajectories. Modernity in Indian art reflected artistic values that the Bengal School artists, even when they did oil or pastels, remained disconnected.

Khaleeq represents, in my opinion, an artist, of sustained caliber who remained committed to his artistic preference, and doing it consistently.

I look forward to seeing this book on the art of Khaleeq Ashfaq Khan in all the libraries, where it would bring to highlight a prominent figure in genre of painting that was taught and practiced before and after Indian Independence that still has its supporters and enthusiasts.

Nuzhat Kazmi, Ph.D. Professor Department of Art History & Art Appreciation Faculty of Fine Arts Jamia Millia Islamia New Delhi

6

Mr. Khaleeq Ashfaq Khan is a singularly talented artist and yet he is one of the most charming and unassuming people I have had the privilege of meeting. His confidence in his art or acknowledgment of his skills does not translate into a need for fame or adulation. Indeed, he seemed slightly uncomfortable with our awe and admiration of his work. So, the idea of a biography and the compilation of his works was not something he felt was necessary. Nonetheless, he opened his heart and his hospitality to us, making this venture possible.

Yasir and I are both architects and have both dabbled in art, though he has been the more successful in the endeavour. Our commitment to our work translated in to the same zeal and enthusiasm for this project which we envisioned as a compendium of the works of an impeccable artist and through which we could pay our homage to him as well as all the great artists in our country who have strayed in to moonlit obscurity from the public glare.

This book is aimed at the students of art as well as all the art lovers so that they can emulate and enjoy some of these paintings most of which are all parts of private collections. Neither of us pretend to have enough expertise to actually critique or even describe each of the paintings as well as they deserve. And yet, as art-lovers ourselves, we sincerely believed that we could do no less than our very best towards this feat. I hope all of you have the opportunity to go through this book enjoy and cherish the experience as we have cherished the opportunity of becoming a part of making it.

7

Acknowledgment

Concept | Khaleeq Ashfaq Khan

This book has been possible only because of the ready support, kindness and passion of many individuals. We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to Mr. Khaleeq Ashfaq Khan who has been kind, patient and indulgent in the face of our constant questions and impositions during the research as well as data collection. We’d like to thank Mrs. Khan, who welcomed us in her home and life with gracious warmth. She kept us happily fed and watered, even as she practiced abstinence through the month of Ramadan. Their sons Tanveer and Khusro, and their daughter Tarana have been pillars of support and encouragement throughout the process of creating this anthology. They deserve our heart-felt gratitude.

We would like to thank Mr. Salman Hameed Siddiqui, who has been invested in this project since its inception and is actually the true harbinger of this venture. It was his appreciation of Mr. Khan’s work, his readiness to invest in creating this compendium and his regard for Mr. Khan himself that has made this attempt to preserve and propagate a reality. We would also like to extend our gratitude to Mr. Satish Gupta, who allowed us to take some of the images from his private collection, and to Anandit Sachdev and Faraz Farooq who have been with us every step of the way.

No venture of this scale is ever accomplished by a handful. It takes multiple efforts and numerous influences that inspire an artist to reach this level of accomplishment. We’d like to extend our gratitude to each and every of those individuals who have shaped the course of Mr. Khan’s road towards excellence.

“The concept of art for me is the perpetual search of truth, the divine realization through contemplation, devotion and sincerity a kind of yogic discipline. To attain this spiritual goal, the artist must raise himself above all coarse instincts desires and passions like jealousy, temptation, anger and hatred and follow the appointed path by which mankind must climb to God the path of love, beauty, the perfect delight the path of art”.

Thank you Taru Yasir Hameed Khaleeq Ashfaq, in his studio, Aligarh 1984

8

Lines taken from his paintings solo exhibition’s folder held in 1989 Aligarh

9

The Early Days The twentieth century was an elegy of extremes – it manifested new ideas and toppled old social orders. It heralded change that transformed the mindscape of the common man. India, poised on its adventure with modernity and freedom, had generated within itself many facets. It had opened windows to the new world and eagerly looked outwards for modernist ideas. And yet, its roots remained entrenched within layers of ancient wisdom and philosophy.

The Bengal Renaissance had spread its wings, unfurling the idea of the renewal and revolution to the furthest corners of the country. A new brand intellectual revolutionaries – who belonged from the indigenous populace and who sought to reclaim the glorious past of their country - were born. This new intelligentsia familiarized themselves with their surrounding and reinterpreted them, often in the process inventing new methods and innovating improved techniques. The fresh perspective helped them to savour the unique flavour of India, critically analyse the people and their lives, the collective ambience and derive genius from the little nuances of the mundane.

Late Mr. Ashfaq Khan, Khaleeq Ashfaq Khan’s father, was an tax superintendent.

This income augmented with that of his inheritance allowed the family to live in genteel comfort. The family belonged to the upper-crust land-owning gentry of India and enjoyed an elevated profile as well as the privileges entailed by such a stature. Even today, the family home in Shahjahanpur holds layers of history and several stories within its bosom.

Heredity and Human Genome are well-established facts today. We are all an amalgamation of what our parents were and all that they could have been.

And yet all that we finally become, often is a reflection of how we‘ve grown up. Mr. Khaleeq Ashfaq Khan is not an anomaly here. He grew up in a liberal Muslim household, in Shahjahanpur. His world was composed of the intricate tapestry of the then new and modern discoveries, in tandem with the ageless miasma of the indigenous India.

Indeed, in Dickens’ words, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”

- (Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities) It was in this era of transition – the period between the dark dystopia of the 19th century imperialism and the impertinent sprawl of post-modernism, that Mr. Khaleeq Ashfaq Khan began his unassuming yet remarkable journey.

It was on 28th December, 1935 – in the quiet embrace of the suburban Shahjahanpur that young Khaleeq took his first breath. The eddies of the waning British Raj and the looming World War II flowed furiously around the city and Shahjahanpur remained entrenched as a part of the greater India – the country of sleepy towns and languorous villages. A young Khaleeq grew up in a world of such stark reliefs, exposed to the checkered board of tradition and indigenous lifestyles as well as the illumination of modern thought and theory. Away from the fiery cauldron of war and unrest that plagued the rest of the world, Khaleeq found himself deeply enamoured by art and by the various media one could express beauty with.

10

A family picture from 1965. Late Mr. Ashfaq Khan (centre) and Khaleeq Ashfaq (extreme right).

Both his parents were highly creative individuals who pursued their artistic interests with commendable zeal. His father was a poet and well respected in the local literary circles. His ghazals 1 and mezahiya shayeri 2 routinely found their way in the local literary journals in Urdu. He was an avid student of the Languages and his knowledge of English literature in particular was exemplary.

His mother on the other hand, was a deeply pious and traditional lady. And though she did not pursue it with the same zeal, she was naturally endowed with an artistic temperament. Often her talents would be channelled towards intricate embroidery compositions or towards designing garments for her daughters. Her cooking was not just delicious, but would often have shades of innovation within each dish and flair for interior decoration was impeccable.

Young Khaleeq absorbed all the creative vibes around him and distilled them in to concentrated strands of passion and dedication for art, augmented by shades of sheer genius exhibited only by artists of his calibre and potential.

A local adage aptly states that signs of greatness show themselves early.

Young Khaleeq’s passion for art and his zeal for perfection lead him to paths often untravelled. His interest in art was all-consuming and was not limited to a single media. He is even now an avid photographer, an interest he had acquired as a young teenager. Photography, in mid-twentieth century was an intricate and complicated study in itself. And yet, as it would become evident later, Khaleeq Ashfaq Khan would never fail to go that extra mile to achieve that certain effect which would satisfy his creative eye. In an instance when he had to shoot a photograph of his mother, he spent hours overseeing the setting, managing the lights, even chose her clothing. And then when all was ready, a sense of incompleteness still nagged at him. Swiftly, he ran in to the garden and picked some fresh roses. He added them to his mother’s coiffure and then finally clicked the photograph that still graces the mantle in the living room of his residence. Though the photograph is in black and white, it is still more vivid than most taken in today’s era of 3-d photography. On another instance, he decided that he wanted to capture the image of the moving Toofan Express from the anterior angle. He therefore stood in between the two parallel rail lines and waited for the train to arrive. The said train was the fastest train of that era and its very name ‘Toofan’ meant the storm. Unafraid of the given fact, the young lad set his camera to a configuration of a frame at approximately 30 m distance and waited for the train to arrive. He, then quickly clicked the photograph and then nimbly jumped aside as the train thundered past him. It was only after the photograph was developed and his mother chanced to see it that young Khaleeq was upbraided for such

Khaleeq Ashfaq Khan’s mother, 1956

recklessness and was made to promise that he would not pull such a stunt again.

Having a blessed childhood in the serenity of Shahjahanpur left an indelible mark on the personality of Khaleeq Ashfaq Khan. The quiet countryside that merged into the little town, the clusters of indigenous rural huts complemented by the quaint havelis 3 with Shahjahani arches, the clip-clop of carriages barely disturbed by the automobile, the quaint colonial brick houses with their entrances adorned by rose ivy, the jingling music of anklets invariably worn by the women and the breath taking folk art that adorned the walls and the taq of every house – the impressions of the old and the poetic stayed with him, even as he anticipated the new and the dramatic. The bitter politics and turbulence of partition barely touched his life and Khaleeq grew up studying, internalizing and loving the India that has to a great extent faded away now, giving in to a cacophony of the ‘new’ and the ‘modern’.

11

Figurative & Landscape Paintings

Figurative and Landscape Paintings “An artist’s work should speak of his sincerity. His subjects should draw an audience’s imagination. Any amount of carelessness towards his work takes away a lot from his art.” Mr. Khan spoke these words with consummate ease as he sat discussing some of his landscape paintings. It seemed as if this casually mentioned and yet highly insightful statement became the doorway to understanding his work. Later he spoke of admiring the works of great artists like Monet and mentioned his fascination with the renaissance art.

Mr. Khan’s paintings, especially the landscape paintings, reflect all these facets of their creator. These paintings hold the veil of serenity reminiscent of renaissance art, and yet have a subject and visualization that evoke strong reactions from their viewers.

His figurative paintings, on the other hand are bold and provocative. They have been framed so strategically that they seem to be a spontaneous response from the artist. In a brilliant rendition of shapes and shades, the artist showcases multiple facets and provokes emotions within the human mind pertaining to the subject. The paintings speak of ideas like drama, vibrancy, chaos, dysfunction, even loathing to their audience – leaving none unaffected.

The young Khaleeq was a wanderer at heart. He would walk the untrodden paths and capture the lost treasures on the palette of his memory as well as imprint their magic on the piece of canvas he often carried with himself. As an art student in Lucknow, his wanderings took him to the ruins of a mosque destroyed during the revolt of 1857 by the British officers. Though this painting was criticized by his then instructor Mr. Mahapatra as a piece that needed a little more depth, it manages to spell-bind the viewer nonetheless. It evokes a deep nostalgia and melancholy within the viewers and a sense of desolate abandonment. Even as a young artist, Mr. Khan’s managed to reveal the soul of a place to his audience through brush strokes and paint tones.

Sur aur Taal 4 (to the right) - the name as well as the subject of this painting is derived from the concept of music and beats as defined traditional and rich Indian music and dance. The painting is a veritable confluence of relevant images replete with symbolism and suggestion. The symbolism of Hindu swastika that represents the prayer or piety associated with the Bharatnatyam, the gaja or elephant that symbolizes grace and divinity, the lotus which is both an offering 20

Landscape study: Lucknow Residency Campus Size: 21” x 14” Medium: Watercolour Year: 1960

as well as a divine blessing. The snapshots of the hast-mudras 9 and dancing feet, the music fleet of Sitar and Tabla players and the two Bharatnatyam mudras (hand gestures) and bhangas 9 (poses), together with the symbols concoct a bold and almost tangible mirage. One can almost feel the thrum in the air and hear the faint strains of a Sitar.

Painting Title: Sur Aur Taal 4 Size: 22” x 32” Medium: Oil on Canvas Year: 1973 21

Wash Paintings

Wash Paintings During the turn of the twentieth century and at the height of the Bengal Renaissance, artists had started to come in to their own. Instead of emulating the tradition of replication of training and gharanas, they turned to evolve further. These pioneers drew from the rich Indian heritage and the styles that have evolved through several centuries and experimented with new or foreign techniques to add to the final result. In this period, the phoenix fire of rebirth burned brightly and many lost traditional art forms found a new and improved life. Alternatively, the amalgamation of something new with the old or of a technique from across the world with the execution of subjects from traditional lore lead to entirely new art forms. The flame of innovation and the exuberance of success illuminated all the then major schools and many great artists as well as art styles were born and perpetuated. One such style was the Indian z painting. It was a style developed by Abanindranath Tagore.

Abanindranath Tagore, elder brother to Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, is considered as the father of Indian Modern Art. His explorations while studying art lead him to not only delve in to Indian art forms like Mughal and Rajputana art styles, but also lead him to study other art styles and techniques from different cultures. He took private lessons from an Italian artist Signor Gilhardi on foliage drawing, cast drawing and pastel and life study, attended the studio of Mr. Charles L. Palmer, an English painter and gained expertise in portrait and oil-painting. He also learnt the Art of Japanese brushwork under Yokoyama Taikan. He amalgamated all the skills and techniques he learnt with distinctly Indian themes – using amalgamated techniques to produce art that was distinctly its own.

In Indian wash painting, the artist usually emulates similar techniques as those developed by the Japanese artists. The artist begins with formulating the basic sketch of his desired result and then fixing the lining by drenching it in water by either pouring water over it or by dipping the paper in a water pail. In this process, the extra colour that has not affixed itself on to the paper rinses off, leaving the painting with only the paint that has embedded itself into the paper. The painting is then allowed to dry while still on the board and this keeps the painting base from shrivelling. This fixing process is repeated with each layer of paint that is added to the painting.

In the next step, the artist fills the painting with the first layer of base colours, 50

which can be either water or tempera. First the forms and figures should be filled with colour of the three tonal values (highlight, middle tone and depth) and then the fixing process should be repeated. After these steps the artist should add the background colour, taking care to darken the edges. The painting is fixed again to stabilize the background colour.

The next stage is the most crucial stage of the painting called the wash stage which requires the painting to be wet at the time of colour application. Since the previous layers of colours have been affixed, so no smudging occurs. The atmospheric colours used in this stage are transparent watercolours, of the consistency of thin honey and are often used to depict the effect of the day, shadows of the night or the effects of season. The layer of colours is applied over the wet paper, while taking care that no excess water remains. The colours are applied in three tones and the corners are the darkest. Once the step is completed all extra colours are removed with a dry brush and the wash colours also go through the fixing process. The artist details out the finer details of the painting, painstakingly creating intricate work like eyelashes or ornate jewellery – finally ending this delicate process of creating a wash painting.

Traditionally in Indian art, subject, theme and mood are typically depicted through mudras and bhangas 9 in Indian classical dances and painting of Ajanta or Indian miniatures. The Indian wash painting adopts these aspects of the traditional art forms with panache. The linear character and the way of drawing, like the body posture (tribhanga 10 pose) seen in the wash paintings indicate a traditional Indian and Persian influence. And yet, Mr. Khan imbued his paintings with a new life by adding facial expressions to his paintings. This was his unique contribution to the evolution of this art form and this added a genuineness and vividness to his work.

Unfortunately, wash paintings are no longer taught as a part of the academic curricula in any institution, perhaps due to its lengthy and intricate procedure. As a result, this exquisite art form is vanishing swiftly, as very few masters of this style still exist.

The wash painting with an Indian soul had emigrated from Bengal school of Art to Lucknow College of Art when students of Bengal school started teaching at Lucknow. Wash paintings and murals in earth colours became a part of the curriculum. The talented Khaleeq took to this complex and intricate style like a fish to water and has in the span of his career created some beautiful and impeccable pieces of Indian wash paintings. One may say that the complex and labyrinthine process, which may have discouraged many with less commitment, was one of the major reasons for Mr. Khan’s persistence. In this book we have compiled some of his best works with this almost extinct technique. Some of the paintings are so impervious that even a prolonged exposure to water in an unexpected flood has not managed to dim their colours or their charm.

Reminiscent of the Krishna and his raas-leela 6, so often celebrated by medieval poets and Indian art maestros, this painting depicts the revelry and teasing that makes Holi 7 the celebration that unshackles the rigidity of proprieties and allows individuals the freedom to enjoy.

The wash technique was mastered and taught by none other than Prof. B.N. Arya at the Lucknow College of Arts and Crafts and Khaleeq left no stone unturned in learning and mastering the style under the renowned maestro.

Painting Title: Holi 7 Size: 20” x 30” Medium: Watercolour wash Year: 1961

The painting focuses on a village couple, similar to the numerous portrayal of the pretty Radha and the dark and naughty Krishna in the medieval poetry of Meera and Surdas, their expressions denoting the joy of a tryst, isolated in their regard to eachother amongst a crowd of others.

51

Portraits

Painting Title: Portrait of my Mother - I Size: 24” x 33” Medium: Oil on canvas Year: 1961

Even though many of the portraits have familiar protagonists, the artist has succeeded in imbuing each of his paintings with a distinct flair and a different mood. For example, the portrait of his eldest sister (see page 66, LHS) in her wedding finery was painted a few weeks after her wedding. As an artist with an eye for detail, he has set this portrait in ambience of regal affluence. The velvet drapes, the rich colours and the low settee - all add to the richness of the portrait, 68

Painting Title: Portrait of my Mother - II Size: 24” x 33” Medium: Oil on canvas Year: 1966

imbuing it with an aura of nobility. Similarly, in another portrait, he improvised a very European aura and a floral crown on to the image of his model (see page 79) to achieve a certain charm reminiscent of the great classics by masters like Rembrandt.

69

Painting Title: Portrait study - III Size: 27” x 36” Medium: Oil on canvas Year: 1968

70

Painting Title: Self Portrait Size: 28” x 36” Medium: Oil on canvas Year: 1969

71

Still-life and Flowers

Still-life and Flowers Mr. Khan acquired a name for himself among the great league of artists, even as he was studying art in Lucknow. His paintings of still-life and flowers had become highly acclaimed amongst his peers and his rendition of roses had especially garnered the admiration of his fellow artists and his teachers. Indeed Prof. Khastgir, who was also the principal of his college appreciated his work so much that he actually bought a couple of these paintings and encouraged the young Khaleeq use various mediums and to grow as an artist. Indeed, by the time he left college, he had gained the epithet Khaleeq “Rose” Ashfaq Khan.

“Flower Painting” has always been taught as a part of still-life in India and was never given the stature that it enjoys in Europe. None of the old masters and teachers in India have been famous for painting flowers and it has not been taught as a separate subject. Famous masters from Europe and USA like Catherine Klien and Paul de Longpre have worked on the subject, but their work has little impact in India as there have been no exhibitions or publications that showcase their work. Therefore young Khaleeq was a pioneer in this case, where all the norms and standards set were his own. These paintings have been created without any outside influences, examples or inspirations and therefore are manifestations of the genius of Mr. Khan’s work.

Mr. Khan candidly admits that he finds an innate joy in observing and painting the vibrant flowers because they remind him of all the bounties and joys of nature. Through-out his career, whether outdoors in a garden or otherwise, he’d find himself enraptured by the delicate effusions of nature and would feel compelled to capture their ephemeral and joyful beauty into a more long-lived medium.

88

Prof. Khastgir emphasized upon his student the importance of diversifying his skill set and developing the ability to work with multiple mediums and express his vision through multiple styles. The result of this advice is fairly evident upon anyone who peruses this anthology. It is especially evident in this section as one identifies delicate watercolour, vibrant tempera or perhaps other mediums like oil and pastel. Sometimes he even combined mediums to create a unique style of his own. Some paintings have the unique rendering of a knife painting and others are reminiscent to Van Gogh with broad fragmented strokes of post-impressionism. It is here that the observer begins to gauge the diversity

Painting Title: Still-Life - I Size: 16” x 22” Medium: Oil on board Year: 1962

and versatility of Mr. Khan’s art and appreciate the true depth of his knowledge.

Many of his paintings play with light and shadow, some flickering in the delicate glow of candle light, others illuminated with the fluorescence of indoor light and yet others shaded with the moods of the seasons and the varying intensities of the sunlight.

Painting Title: Roses - I Size: 20” x 30” Medium: Oil on board Year: 1968

89

Painting Title: Still-Life - II Size: 21” x 27” Medium: Oil on canvas Year: 1969 90

Painting Title: Fresh Blossoms Size: 20” x 30” Medium: Oil on canvas Year: 1968 91

A Journey in Colours - Khaleeq Ashfaq Khan

Taru

109 108

Book Spine

“The concept of art for me is the perpetual search of truth, the divine realization through contemplation, devotion and sincerity, a kind of Yogic discipline. To attain this spiritual goal, the artist must raise himself above all coarse instincts desires and passions like jealousy, temptation, anger and hatred and follow the appointed path by which mankind must climb to God the path of love, beauty, the perfect delight the path of art�

Khaleeq Ashfaq Khan

110