Zulfiqar Ali Zulfi
He was born and had his early education at Dera Ghazi Khan and then left the town at a tender age. Zulfi, a keen observer of nature, noticed romance in mist and then he found soft light when the mist was washed away by winter rain. He felt the beauty of it and started painting the light. These were progressions on his canvas not by design but by a natural process. According to Marjorie Husain, “Zulfiqar Ali Zulfi is a painter of the landscape genre with two decades of painting to his credit. In Zulfi’s paintings it appears we are all observers. Often standing on the threshold of light. Almost grisaille in his approach to the media, he is a master of chiaroscuro, mornings are cloaked with mist, the tall trees dramatic, leafless silhouettes.” Noshi Qadir, the curator of gallery said that “Zulfi is a realist painter, but his paintings, be they landscapes or cityscapes are more than an imitation of what is seen. He has the magic of capturing the essence of the vignette that he replicates on canvas.”
Beyond realism, the artist understands his subject matter well. Zulfi’s imagery, she added, is idyllic and delightful - he is a master of capturing seasons and times of day- In his landscapes one actually fees the breeze and smells the grass- The foggy winter morning scenes are truly cold and the sunny landscapes warm and brilliant. The artist is the recipient of the Presidents Pride of Performance award. He has several solo and group shows to his credit and his paintings are in major collections home and abroad.
Zulfiqar Ali Zulfi’s landscapes show a profound understanding of his subject matter, his comprehension of the nuances of colour in his paintings, his appreciation for capturing seasons and different times of the day are painted in the most sensitive and aesthetically soothing manner. Just as English Romantic painter John Constable was known for his landscape paintings of Dedham Vale, better known as Constable County, Zulfi is well-known for his love of painting the city of Lahore and the surrounding rural areas. Technical proficiency aside, it is the emptive quality in his work just like Constable that can make a person see the peace embedded in his work. There is a beautiful tranquility about Zulfi’s landscapes; they convey an idea of poetic moments that can alight the viewer in his or her dark moments. His rich canvases reveal and explore diverse dimensions of realism but if looked upon closely, hints of Impressionism do come across. This must be due to his teacher and mentor Khalid Iqbal who recorded light and the atmosphere in his images without using stereotypical images. The presence of the breeze, light pouring through the trees and mist, the falling leaves and movement of figures are all participants in his work. Zulfi’s awareness, sense of observation and perspective of depth is regenerated with his selection of colour and style of application.
Placing Zulfi’s work in context of the cultural conditions of our time, his work is met with a philosophical liking and a pictorial representation of acceptable appreciation. According to Zulfi, his paintings are a reflection of who he is as a person, sensitive in nature and creative in spirit.