Prominent artist and human rights activist Jimmy Engineer has said he is genuinely proud of serving the motherland and building a soft image of Pakistan worldwide as a forward looking, progressive and moderate country.
He told journalists at the Lahore Airport in a stopover while on his way to Islamabad from Karachi on Thursday. He said his tour of Germany, USA and couple of European countries was successful, besides, spending some time with his parents in the USA.
He said he had met Pakistan's ambassadors in Germany and the United States and explored possibilities of how he could work to promote Pakistan's point view as an artist and social worker by organising exhibitions of his selected paintings. He met Pakistani Ambassador Asad Durrani in Washington and exchanged views of mutual interest with him.
He has recently returned home from about three-month long tour of the USA, Germany and some European countries as a goodwill Ambassador at large of Pakistan. He also displayed his selected paintings including those of the Pakistan Movement.
He also met former president Bill Clinton at a dinner hosted by his friend Kamran Khan at the Union League Club in Chicago and discussed matters of mutual interests of the countries.
Bill Clinton highly appreciated Jimmy Engineer's humanitarian activities as an artist of par excellence and social worker. The former US President also presented his book "Giving" with his autograph to Jimmy Engineer as a memento of the meeting.
Replying to questions about his artistic activities he said that he was giving due attention to the remaining paintings in the series of Architectural Compositions of Pakistan, South Asia and other countries and trying to complete them for a massive exhibition within and out side the countries in 2008.
He said the major art exhibition of his work depicting on the canvas of varying sizes will enable the art lovers to have glimpses of cultural and historical heritage of Pakistan, South Asian and other countries.
He said he has been working on the architectural compositions since 2001 continuously, adding, "I'm happy and grateful to Almighty Allah that it has now attained near completion status." He said that the architectural compositions number about 60 to 70 in medium and large sized canvasses and pertain to Pakistan, Idia, entral Asian Republics (formerly part of the defunct Soviet Union).Peoples Republic of China,Japan and some Arab countries.
He added some paintings also highlight the different aspects of Gandhara civilisation as well. Resuming his social related activities he said is organising a fun, food and awareness programme for the special children at the Salt and Pepper Village Restaurant in Karachi on December 3. Large number of special children from various institutions have been invited and would be served with sumptuous lunch besides being entertained to some light music.