Humanity in Jimmy Engineer’s Paintings
by Winarto
Gulf War, painted by Jimmy Engineer
The old woman face is looked so sad. Around her there is silhouette of soldiers and artillery weapon with domination of red color at background. At left corner there is a young boy with barbed wire on his head, while a man is praying at under the face of woman. This painting entitle “Gulf War” worked by Jimmy Engineer makes we are distressed. The painting is about the sorrow in war situation.
This painting of Jimmy Engineer is one of tens works by noted Pakistani artists that has been displaying in exhibition entitled “A Glimpse into Pakistani Arts Works” at National Gallery, Jakarta. The exhibition has been holding in February 14-28, 2013. Beside Jimmy Engineer’s there are works of Ghulam Rasul, Ayesha Khan, Sanaullah dan Fauzia Mazhar Sana.
Jimmy Engineer
Jimmy Engineer, born in 1954, is acknowledged globally because of his paintings that talk about social problem in his country and international world. His painting “Gulf War” is one of his works with theme of war that lead to suffering for people. Engineer has much concern to war victims and people with social, physical and mental disabilities. As an artist he is also an social activist.
In this exhibition about twenty Engineer’s paintings with various theme has being displayed. One of his famous works is the painting of the freedom war in Pakistan in last decade of 1940. The painting entitle “In Honour of The Men, Women and Children Who Laid Their Lives in The Struggle of 1947”. This painting illustrates in detail some sequences of people who have been victims of war. With this work Engineer wants Pakistani people to appreciate their brothers and sisters which has sacrificed themselves for their country. For us as outsider, this painting asks us to contemplate about the anguish because of war.
Step To Heaven, by Ayesha Khan
Beside social problem, Engineer paints landscaps, religious, arcitectural, self-portraits, calligraphy and abstract. Along with his career in 30 years he has produced more than 3000 paintings. Part of them has been collected by art lovers in 50 countries.
Ayesha Khan
Other Pakistani artist who gets international reputation is Ayesha Khan. This painter is for last ten years living in Indonesia. She has fallen in love with Bali.
Ayesha who often hold exhibition in Indonesia is interested to traditional architectural arts. Here there are some her paintings about Hindus and Buddhist temples which are a lot in Indonesia and South East Asian countries. One of her interesting works is “Step to Heaven” that shows some persons in front of Majapahit Kingdom inheritance temple, in Karangasem, Bali.
Figure of temple which is so high and some persons are just little builds an impression of the greatness of the temple. The choices of color domination of whitish brown presents religious and peace situation. This painting is same theme as her work “Gate way to Nirvana” which to draw a Buddhist monk steps forward the temple in Myanmar.