Imran Mir

12th Paper on Modern Art ExhibitionBook Launch of ‘WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU SEE’

17th December, 2014

Press Kit

Press contact:Nighat Mir - 0300-8235330Nighatmir@yahoo.com

A few words from the artist

“I would like to think of this book launch as a party to which I have invited a few of my very dear friends, all of them highly regarded in their respective creative disciplines. They have followed my work over the years and have rejoiced in my creative output.”

Key Authors and Contributors

Zohra YusufJournalist and Chairperson of The Human Rights Foundation of Pakistan

C. AnjalendranWorld famous architectfrom Sri Lanka

Durriya KaziSculptor, Head of Department of Visual Studies of University of Karachi

Iqbal GeoffreyEstablished artist and senior practicing lawyer

Late Ali ImamFamous artist, gallerist and former principal of CIAC

Nighat MirAuthor, editor and social activist

Nafisa RizviAuthor, Editor, Art writer and independent curator

Noorjehan BilgramiAuthor, artist, textile designer, curator and gallerist

Rashid ArshedEstablished artist and former Principal CIAC

Rasheed AraeenBritain’s first minimalist installation artist and renouned art historian

David RobsonWriter and Professor of Architecture at Brighton University

Late Hasan JaffereyAn informed, well-read and endearing individual

Artist Bio

Imran Mir (1950-2014)

Imran Mir was an artist, sculptor, designer and advertising trendsetter whose innovations shaped his persona and influenced his peers.Mir thrived on challenges and enrolled in art school defying family and social norms. After graduating from CIAC (Central Institute of Arts and Crafts Karachi) in 1971, he left for Canada and studied at the prestigious Ontario College of Art and Design working multiple jobs to support himself. When he returned to Pakistan in 1978, Mir exhibited cutting edge art which confused art critics because they had never seen such a bold example of minimalism and modernism close up and refused to accept what they did not understand. However, as the years passed, Mir came to be acknowledged as the artist who dared to experiment with color and planar fractures, both with a temerity that not many artists could balance with grace.

This need to reject convention and reconstruct it into something dynamically extraordinary was Imran Mir’s guiding principle. It was an idea of constant evolution and change that he lived by. He chose to call his work “Papers” on modern art, considering each body of work as serious as writing a theoretical paper. Hence the First, Second, Third and so on -- till his last Twelfth Paper on Modern Art.

Imran Mir’s enthusiasm was a constant in all activities no matter how trivial or monumental -- from gardening to making installations, to creating award-winning ad campaigns or travelling or enjoying food on the streets of Karachi. Being a trailblazing designer, he shed light on the importance of a strong design aesthetic within the world of business and made it easier for graphic artists and designers that followed him to grow their field. In fact, he set up the very first design unit for a leading publication house, winning the INPA (International Newspaper Publication) awards while he worked there. Among other acclaims he has been dubbed the premiere design guru of Pakistan.

Along with a group of like-minded artists and architects, Mir was the moving spirit behind the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture in Karachi and was one of its founder members. Imran was also involved in an effort to set up the first Museum of Modern Art in Pakistan. He was actively involved in establishing The Citizens Foundation among other philanthropies. Along side his passions he has also been responsible in building some of the most iconic Pakistani brands we know and use today: MCB, Habib Oils, Meezan Bank, IGI Insurance, Dawn News, Shan Masala, Tapal Tea, One Potato Two Potato, Meat One, The News, among many others.

Event write-up

On 17th December, the studio house, belonging to late artist Imran Mir was packed to the rafters with artists, art writers, art critics, curators, collectors and Mir’s friends and admirers. Who had come in large numbers to the posthumous launch of his book “What you see is what you see” and to preview the ‘Twelfth Paper on Modern Art,’ his last body of work, which was displayed in his purpose built studio gallery at the Mir House.

The evening began with the book launch in Mir’s enchanted tropical garden. The speakers for the launch included the very articulate and knowledgeable Hameed Haroon, CEO of Dawn Media Group, Art writer Niilofur Farrukh, a fellow student and friend of Mir’s at art school in Karachi, Art writer, curator and author Nafisa Rizvi, long time friend and renowned architect Shahid Abdulla, and Mir’s younger son Kenan, an advertising executive at Ogilvy & Mather who lives and works in Chicago.

The discussion revolved around, Imran Mir the artist, graphic designer, philanthropist and father. Which was followed by a preview of the exhibition.

A statement on the exhibition: Twelfth Paper on Modern Art

Imran Mir’s Twelfth Paper on Modern Art executed between December 2013 and February 2014, consists of 28 paintings and 8 installations. The works are an interesting mix of his usual trajectory of color explorations and intense black and white discoveries. They are implemented with the precision that has always been a trademark of Imran Mir’s technique, evident even in his large-scale pieces.

The installations that accompany these paintings are a natural outcome of the geometries that Imran Mir expresses in his two dimensional works. Some installations are a series of ready-mades which he then re-contextualizes.

Imran Mir’s paintings are conflations of expansive spatial color fields containing cosmic objects executed with the repetition and meticulousness often found in Islamic geometrical patterns, paradoxically coupled with the freedoms of American expressionism. Mir toys with all the metaphysical and ontological concepts that he was concerned with and could not express in his commercial output. There is a playful charm in his work that alludes to the childlike exploration of truth. The controlled chaos of his immense canvases is indicative of the lens through which he viewed the universe, the world and his life. He seized the liminal spaces and painted them, lived them.

Written by Nafisa Rizvi

Foreword from the book by Noorjehan Bilgrami (Page 1)

I first met Imran Mir in 1970, at a time when we were both students at the Central Institute of Arts and Crafts (CIAC), Karachi. He was a Graphic Design student, while I was in the Fine Art Department.

My memory of Imran forty-three years ago is of a lanky, shy teenager with doleful yet twinkling eyes, leaning on the iron balustrade of the Arts Council’s cemented stairway. Then and to this day, with his mischievous grin, Imran would quietly slip in a punchy line full of wit, almost inaudible- yet it was heard by all present, and would make everyone double up in laughter.

At the time, CIAC had a dynamic, energized and charged environment. It was a modest place, one long corridor flanked by classrooms on either side, equipped with only the basics, yet it brought out the best from its students.

The principal, Ali Imam, had recently returned from the UK, he would be seen hovering in a yellow shirt and corduroy pants, exuding an air of no-nonsense, the aroma from his pipe preceding his towering personality. He exposed students to the work of artists from all over the country–in fact the region. Ahmed Pervez, Sadequain, Bashir Mirza, Shakir Ali, MF Hussain were among regular visitors to the Institute. Artists like Nahid Ali, Anjum Saeed, Imran Mir, Rumana Hussain, Seema Tahir and art critic Niilofer Farrukh are all CIAC graduates.

Born in Karachi, Imran is the youngest amongst seven brothers and two sisters. His father died when Imran was very young and he grew up sheltered amidst the love of his family – to the extent of being very spoiled! Nighat, his wife, says the influence continues till this day. He studied in many different schools, including one in Murree. Imran was not good at academics, but always wanted to study art. After his Intermediate, his brothers wanted him to become a doctor, but Imran’s mother supported his desires and he joined CIAC.

Since childhood, Imran had longed to be an artist, to live in the realm of form and colour. He was enamoured by the glamour of Indian films and practiced drawing their actors along with his comic book heroes. When he showed his portfolio for admission at CIAC, Ali Imam brusquely dismissed his efforts, suggesting he should sell his sketches of Tarzan, actors and actresses on the footpath at Saddar! It was Imran’s will power alone that ensured him admission at CIAC.

Most memorable are Imran’s drawings of the time – mainly caricatures of his colleagues and teachers. With one continuous, strong individualistic graphite line, he captured the essentials of the person on paper. With single-mindedness and determination, Imran pursued and explored the power and control of the graphite line, from the dot to the infinite circle.

Imran steadfastly and tirelessly pursued his goals. In 1976 he passed his Masters in Communication Design from the Ontario College of Art in

Foreword from the book by Noorjehan Bilgrami (Page 2)Toronto, Canada, with honours. Being very organized and methodical, he has a logical approach to life. Very consciously, he chartered his career path towards a profession that would be economically viable, in order to have the freedom to paint and pursue other inner desires.

He returned to Pakistan to work at Asiatic Advertising, a leading advertising agency, where he met his life partner, Nighat. She recalls with great amusement how, once he had had decided to marry her he had no desire to waste any time by waiting and wanted the ceremony immediately. He later joined the Dawn Group and the Herald as their Creative Editor. In1987, he set up his own advertising firm, Circuit, as a one-room operation, and in no time it expanded into one of the foremost, vibrant advertising agencies in the country.

Imran’s gentle demeanour masks a steely determination and with clarity of vision he slowly sculpted his way in life as a Designer, Illustrator, Painter and Sculptor! His signature is in itself a work of art.

In 1989, stemming from discussions amongst a group of artists, architects and designers, the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture was founded in Karachi. Imran and myself were among its founders. The motivation behind the founding of this not-for-profit institution began with a modest dream, to give something back to the city for what it had given us. When concepts and ideas were consolidated, doors opened for the dream to start taking shape and become a reality. All those who were approached helped relentlessly in every conceivable way. IVS has gone way beyond the initial vision.

Imran’s passion for plants and a desire to acquire and nurture exotic species and make them grow prolifically is yet another facet of his unusual personality. He spotted a house once while taking a walk and decided that he would live in it one day. Twelve years later, he managed to not only move in, but to transform it into the house of his dreams, with the input of two talented architects. One was his friend, Shahid Abdulla and

the other, the well known architect Anjalendran from Sri Lanka. His wife and business partner Nighat generously concedes that every inch of the re-modelled space reflects Imran’s decisions. It embodies all that he cherishes…it is undoubtedly the most exceptional home, nestled in verdant, luxuriant foliage – another one of his art works!

Imran’s advertising firm has now completed its ‘Circuit’ as Gibran Mir, his eldest son, took over the mantle of CEO after having graduated in Economics from University of Oregon. The creative genes from parents are evident in both his children. Kenan Mir, the younger son graduated from Northwestern University in Economics and Communication. He is winning laurels in the renowned firm of Oglivy and Mather, an international advertising, marketing and public relations agency based in New York City. Gibran’s vibrant, fresh input has given Imran time to pursue his inner, personal creative goals.

This book is yet another of Imran’s epic works of art. It is his personal journey, and the reader is led through 200 pages to get glimpses of Imran’s life, images of his monumental works of art, his stunning house, garden and studio.

Imran did not wish to compartmentalize this book into any structured format; he has selected his personal friends to pen their thoughts about him and his work, rather than art critics. For me, it is like taking a walk through a minimalistic Zen garden that may appear as a natural happening by the Creator, yet it was only made possible by years of disciplined experience and knowledge for it to become so very simple.

I will leave you to dip in visually and experience the dictum.

‘what you see is what you see.’

Noorjehan Bilgrami

Quotes from the book

‘With single-mindedness and determination, Imran persued and explored the power and control of the line, from the dot to the infinite circle’-Noorjehan Bilgrami

‘Imran Mir’s major exhibition of work entitled Sixth Paper on Modern Art poses many questions and demands answers to the ever-recurring question as to what art is all about’- Ali Imam

‘Why is humanity so obsessed with iconographic image and their displays everywhere… It seems Imran Mir is turning his back to this (practice) in an attempt to create a world this is not entirely reflective but contemplative, so that what emerges from its transcends the earthly needs of the body and its pictorial representation’-Dr. Rasheed Araeen

‘The continuous presence of the circle in Mir’s art serves as the constant that predicates the search for truth, reality, perfection, the explicit and profound possibilities of balance within and between the surreal and abstract elements’-Hassan Jafferey

‘He chooses an ordinary object as a theme, a cone or a pyramid for example, interprets in a variety of pictorial entities meticulously arranged on a large canvas. His analytically fashioned compositions are intellectually inciting and visually delightful’-Rashid Arshed

‘He is not concerned with his immediate surroundings or day to day issues. Unity and balance, the essence of any work of art whether music, poetry or visual art, comes from within. Imran arrives at this truth through self-exploration and he interprets his inner self through a vast field of imagery, breaking the barriers of time and space’- Rashid Arshed

Quotes about the artist

‘The controlled chaos of his immense canvases was indicative of the lens through which he viewed the universe, the world and his life-Newsline, November 2014

‘Imran Mir’s efforts seem to go beyond the purely abstract, rational and the visual, and allow the artist in him to constructively engage the era of supersession of the visual culture’.-Hassan Jafferey

‘It was his unique aesthetic sense that drew me and many others towards him and his art. In the personality of Imran Mir, one could not detach life from art –– both perceived and pursued with the same level of intensity-Quddus Mirza, The News on Sunday, November 9, 2014

Referencing imagery related to industrial design, Mir’s repertoire concentrated mainly on emphatic graphics to define his thrust. His ability to humanise the abstract forces of technology, to endow poise and grace to rigid stolid configurations, could be the challenge he grappled within his art. A reappraisal of Mir’s art may well accord this Modernist his due standing in the history of Modernism in Pakistani art.”- Salwat Ali, Dawn, November 9, 2014

Media References (included in CD and web download)

Acrylic on canvas, 122 cm x 122 cmKarachi, 2014

Acrylic on canvas, 122 cm x 122 cmKarachi, 2014

Acrylic on canvas, 122 cm x 122 cmKarachi, 2014

Acrylic on canvas, 61 cm x 61 cmKarachi, 2014

Acrylic on canvas, 122 cm x 122 cmKarachi, 2014

Acrylic on canvas, 244 cm x 91.5 cmKarachi, 2014

Installation no. 12Painted ironKarachi, 2014

Installation no. 10Fiber glass sphere with 33,930 eye droppersKarachi, 2014

Images can be downloaded from: https://app.box.com/imranmirbooklaunch

Event images with captions (see attached for hi-res files)

File name: Imran_Mir 6.jpgCaption: A section of the audience at Imran Mir’s Book launch

File name: Imran_Mir 8.jpgCaption: A view of Imran Mir’s studio gallery, exhibiting his installations

File name: Imran_Mir 14.jpgCaption: from left - Shahid Abdul-la, Nighat Mir, Nazia Abdulla

File name: Imran_Mir 15.jpgCaption: From left - Tahir A Khan, Noorjehan Bilgrami, Seema Tahir, and Tariq Qaiser

File name: Imran_Mir 16.jpgCaption: from left - Gibran Mir, Talat Lalljee, Nighat Mir and Kenan Mir

File name: Imran_Mir 17.jpgCaption: Hameed Haroon and Nighat Mir

File name: Imran_Mir 17.jpgCaption: From left - Hameed Haroon, Nighat Mir and Niilofur Farrukh

File name: Imran_Mir 9.jpgCaption: A view of Imran Mir’s studio gallery

File name: Imran_Mir 10.jpgCaption: A view of Imran Mir’s studio gallery

File name: Imran_Mir 11.jpgCaption: The crowd explores Imran Mir’s studio gallery

File name: Imran_Mir 12.jpgCaption: The crowd explores Imran Mir’s studio gallery

File name: Imran_Mir 13.jpgCaption: from left, Naiza Khan, Nighat Mir, Lolo, Sonya Battla, Saadia Awan

File name: Imran_Mir 2.jpgCaption: A section of the audience at Imran Mir’s Book launch

File name: Imran_Mir 3.jpgCaption: A section of the audience in Imran Mir’s garden

File name: Imran_Mir 3.jpgCaption: From the left, Kenan Mir, Niilofur Farrukh, Hameed Haroon, Shahid Abdulla

File name: Imran_Mir 4.jpgCaption: A packed section of Imran Mir’s garden

File name: Imran_Mir 7.jpgCaption: Kenan Mir, Imran Mir’s son speaking