Weekend gatherings at the Arts Council have evolved into heartfelt evenings of tribute, as the Fine Art Committee continues to honor Pakistan’s living legends.
At the Josh Malihabadi Library in Karachi, the Arts Council of Pakistan’s Fine Art Committee gathered this weekend to honour one of Pakistan’s most influential female painters, Mussarat Mirza.
Presided over by Mohammad Ahmed Shah, the event brought together a cross-generational audience of artists, writers, and art enthusiasts. Shah presented Mirza with a commemorative shieldin recognition of her lifelong contributions to Pakistani art. The evening featured heartfelt addresses by Noorul Huda Shah, Meher Afroz, Noorjehan Bilgrami, Amra Ali, and Dr. Marhab Qasmi, moderated by Nusrat Khwaja, each reflecting on Mirza’s lasting impact as both an artist and educator.
Born in Sukkur, Mirza’s artistic journey has been defined by an unwavering commitment to her surroundings. Eschewing the lure of big-city art circuits, she remained rooted in Sindh — painting the subtle tones of its architecture, light, and quiet spaces. Her canvases, often washed in soft greys and ochres, reveal a deep engagement with memory, silence, and the everyday.
For decades, Mirza has worked and taught in Sukkur and Jamshoro, influencing generations of artists who passed through the University of Sindh’s Fine Arts Department, which she once headed. Her work, contemplative, textured, and emotionally restrained, reflects a distinctly regional sensibility while speaking universally of solitude and stillness.
As Karachi’s art community continues to evolve, this gathering felt like a moment of pause, a collective recognition of an artist who shaped the field not through spectacle but through persistence, humility, and care.
In celebrating Mussarat Mirza, the Fine Art Committee reminds us of the enduring value of artists who work quietly, yet leave an indelible mark on the texture of Pakistan’s cultural life.