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Ismail Gulgee

It happens rarely that a person adopts an art part-timely but it turns to be the biggest objective of his life. Ismail Gulgee did the same almost half a century ago. His journey from an engineer and civil servant to a painter and sculptor was quite amazing and interesting.
 
Born on October 25, 1926 in Peshawar, Pakistan, Gulgee got his early education from Aligarh University. He later moved to USA for the higher education. While he was studying engineering in the Columbia University, he started painting just for fun.
 
When he moved to Harvard University, his pastime turned to be a hobby and he started showing keen interest in it. Gradually, he groomed in the art and produced some outclass paintings. Thus, he was able to hold his first exhibition in 1950.
 
After completing his education, Gulgee joined Pakistan’s Embassy in Ottawa as a Secretary. There, he found a lot of time for improvising his art.
 
Then a time came, when Painting became his profession and his reputation touched the sky. Considering Gulgee’s marvellous works, the Government of Afghanistan requested him to paint the portrait of King Zahir Shah. The veteran painter elegantly painted the whole royal family and then organised a grand exhibition of 151 paintings in Kabul in 1959.
 
This was the biggest milestone for Gulgee who moved on to paint many masterpieces. He created the excellent portraits of Karim Aga Khan, Zhou Enlai, Queen Farah and President Ayub Khan.
 
Having made high marks in painting till 1967, Gulgee focused his attention on Sculpture. He erected a number of glorious figures of bronze, silver and gold. He also painted the verses of Holy Quran and arranged a mega exhibition in Tokyo in 1970.
 
Using his instinctive skills, Gulgee created a huge plate of star and crescent for the Faisal Mosque of Islamabad. He also painted many stones that were placed inside the mosque.
 
In recognition of the great artist’s valuable services for the art, the Government of Pakistan awarded him Pride Of Performance, Sitara-e-Imtiaz and Hilal-e-Imtiaz.
 
Gulgee held fabulous exhibitions in all parts of the world. He was equally liked and respected in both Asia and Europe.
 
Unfortunately, the gifted personality met to a tragic death. On the evening of December 19, 2007, Gulgee, his wife and a maid were found dead in the house. After investigations, it was found that some of his servants perpetrated that gruesome act.
 
The day the legend passed away was perhaps the worst day in the history of art. A lot of people across the word shed tears. But Ismail Gulgee is still alive in his works and in the hearts of his fans. He was indeed an eternal personality.
 
The legacy Gulgee left will remain a source of inspiration for the artists and art lovers till the doomsday. The late legend’s death anniversary is celebrated with great veneration every year across Pakistan. Indeed, Ismail Gulgee is a major part of the history of art and without him, it is incomplete.