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Lot 58

 

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Born in 1980, Asif Ahmed’s work focuses on political intrigue, the illusion of power and the game of chance. Blending the contemporary with the historical, Ahmed uses gouache on wasli to recall to the tradition of miniature painting associated with the Mughal period. Ever since his 2004 thesis exhibition ‘Banjara Nama’ at Lahore’s National College of Arts, Ahmed has dedicated his practice to the miniature painting format. His subjects, however,... Born in 1980, Asif Ahmed’s work focuses on political intrigue, the illusion of power and the game of chance. Blending the contemporary with the historical, Ahmed uses gouache on wasli to recall to the tradition of miniature painting associated with the Mughal period. Ever since his 2004 thesis exhibition ‘Banjara Nama’ at Lahore’s National College of Arts, Ahmed has dedicated his practice to the miniature painting format. His subjects, however, are distinctly contemporary, and he frequently uses images of current politicians and symbolic images such as crows, dice and mousetraps, to make political statements that cross through the centuries.

In 2004, Asif Ahmed received his degree in miniature painting from the National College of Arts in Lahore. Since then, he has exhibited extensively in Asia, with Karachi’s Chawkandi Art Gallery, Lahore’s Ejaz Art Gallery, and the Kyoto Museum in Japan. Among the group exhibitions in which his works have featured are ‘Reprise’ at Aicon Gallery, New York, in 2011; and two shows at Nomad Art Gallery, Islamabad, in 2009 and 2008.

Ahmed won the Ustad Haji Sharif Award for Miniature Painting in 2005, and a Distinction for his Thesis Project, ‘Banjara Nama’, in 2004. His works are featured in many publications, such as ‘A Subtle Rendition’ by Vikas Harish, ‘Three Narratives’ by Salima Hashmi, and ‘Miniature Aesthetics’ by Amra Ali, among others.

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