The history of art from the Mughal Empire to the works of the pioneers of modern art in Pakistan, such as Zubeida Agha, Shakir Ali, Sadequain and Ahmed Parvez are analysed in detail by Akbar Naqvi in the book 'Image and Identity'. The book explores the journey of art, painting and sculpture from the independence of Pakistan till 1997.
The Pakistani art is presented as a distinguished aspect of the Muslim heritage of the sub-continent by the author. Particular focus is given to how modern Pakistani artists used cubism and abstract images of European art to enhance their traditional sub-continental heritage, and made individual expressions of the heritage with which we can relate and identify.
The book has a vast discussion on art as it covers fifty years of painting and sculpture in Pakistan. It is divided into ten chapters and provides a wide array of illustrations. First two chapters present the fading away of the Mughal period, emergence of East India Company art, and the eventual western style of the Raj-patronised art forms.
The Feminine Space - a chapter discusses the contribution of women artists of Pakistan. The author examines in what way women use art to define and stake their independent space. The book reveals how in 1982 a momentous group exhibition by fourteen women artists in Karachi, the first of its kind in the country changed the character of mainstream art world regarding women artists. The most prominent other than Zubeida Agha and Anna Molka Ahmed were Laila Shahzada, Nighat Idrees, Lubna Agha, Hajra Mansur, Rabia Zuberi, Nahid Raza and Sumbul Nazir.
A chapter on sculpture exposes for the first time the vibrancy and growth of this form of art in Pakistan. It provides the reader a peep into the careers of the much talked about artists of their time.
Many artists who in their early careers were painters became sculptors like Zahoorul Akhlaq and Ismail Gulgee then emerged Rabia Zuberi the only woman sculpture of Pakistan. An accidental discovery of rusting girder buried in the dry bed of the river Malir made Saghir Ahmed a steel sculptor. And Shahid Sajjad the pioneer of wood relief turns to sculpture for self-discovery.
This book provides vast information about art history of the sub-continent and Pakistan therefore academics, artists, students, teachers and researchers can be benefited most from it and all those interested in the history of art, issues of culture and the arguments about art find it enjoyable to read. Dr Akbar Naqvi is an art historian and art critic and regularly wrote on art for past many years and contributed to various newspapers and magazine.

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Book          :    "Image and Identity - Painting and Sculpture
                   in Pakistan 1947-1997"
Author        :    Akbar Naqvi
Publisher     :    Oxford University Press
Price         :    Rs 2500/-
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