Professor Saeed Akhtar's ethereal thoughts can be visualised through his charcoal drawings and colourful paintings. The lively, expressive works revealed the inner feelings, influences, intereests and his emotional state. He has played an iconic role in the promotion of art and art education in Pakistan. His hard work, dedication and perseverance in the disciplines of drawing, painting and sculpture have inspired generations of Pakistani artists, marking his lifelong meritorious contributions.
A fellow of the National College of Arts, Lahore and a recipient of Presidents' Award for Pride of Performance, in 1994 and Sitara-e-Imtiaz (Star of Excellence) in 2012, Saeed Akhtar is among our celebrated master artists. His solo exhibition of paintings and drawings in charcoal on paper at Ejaz Gallery, Lahore reflected a creative genius inside him. The content of his works has mostly been aimed to put into view man's quest for the Divine amidst sheer mortality. Richly consistent yet inventive in nature, his drawings and paintings seemed to depict tools for celestial intervention, along with crafting vessels to hold the transient moment. His sensibilities of form, texture and colour define his oeuvre; lending any medium that he used a pulsating, emotive quality.
Saeed Akhtar's artistic endeavours in true spirit can be viewed through his sketches. He portrayed the feminine form as part of nature while pure colours of black, grey and white are used to glamourize the simplicity of human body structure. Simple forms stand amidst the colourless background derived from nature crafted in order to provide a glamorous setting.
With the beauty of nature and the ecstasy in expression he achieved an intensified brilliance in his work. Devoid of colours, he reduced forms to their utmost simplicity and then embellishes them with vibrant pencil or charcoal strokes and energizes them further with implied textures enjoying their subtle nuances.
His sensibilities of form, texture and colour including black and white are par excellence. His drawings offer three dimensional as well as two dimensional forms in a skilfully detailed manner. The choice of a particular medium depends on its possibilities, limitations and characteristics that allow him to express which is not possible in any other medium.
The subjects of drawings are engaging. The firmly embedded visions in his mind take shape on paper. The energy with which his hand flows can be felt easily by viewing his drawings.
The ordinary faces of men and women in his drawings are full of expressions. Smiling, alluring drawings of young women with high-bridged noses, big bright eyes and heavy ornaments revealed a new world of beauty but mostly in deep thought, making it a serious affair. Among the drawings one sees some turban wearing men with the stories of life on their faces.
The simple grey, black colour of charcoal is enough for Saeed Akhtar to convey his message to the colourful world but he equally portrayed the issues of self and society both are raised in his works, sharing the beauty with the world in its pure natural way in his colourful paintings as well.
For art lovers he has published comprehensive monographs of his works in 2009, 2011 and 2015. His works adorn prestigious public and private collections all over the globe.
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