A fellow of the National College of Arts, Lahore and a recipient of Presidents' Award for Pride of Performance (1994), Saeed Akhtar is among our celebrated master artists. He is also a recipient of Chughtai Award, First Biennial Exhibition, Lahore in 1987 now another feather is added in his cap as Professor Saeed Akhtar was awarded with Sitara-e-Imtiaz on 23rd March this year, which is the third highest honour and civilian award of Pakistan.
This award recognises his especial meritorious contributions of the cultural significance in the field of Art. Saeed Akhtar is an aspiring artist of diversified skills and an inspiring icon in the visual arts arena who has played a highly significant role in the promotion of art in Pakistan.
As a senior artist Saeed Akhtar has developed his expertise in this field on the basis of sheer hard work, dedication and perseverance. Drawing is another source for his expression along with painting. His sensibilities of form, texture and colour including black and white are par excellence.
His drawings offer three dimensional as well as two dimensional forms in a skilfully detailed manner. His artistic endeavours in true spirit can be viewed through his sketches. As a senior artist he has developed his expertise in this field on the basis of sheer hard work, dedication and perseverance. Drawing is another source for his expression along with painting. His sensibilities of form, texture and colour including black and white are par excellence.
Saeed Akhtar is among the few artists who have earned great fame in the field of Art. Starting his career in 1964 after acquiring National Diploma in Fine Arts from the National College of Arts, Lahore he never look back. He has the pride of working on the largest Painting of the Quaid -e- Azam and his companions (10x30 feet Oil on Canvas) in 1999.
Other than that he has always been chosen to design and made portraits of the Independent Heroes for the famous buildings of Pakistan, which is his great achievement. He painted portraits of the Quaid-e-Azam from 1967-92 for Major Officer Messes of the Pakistan Army, Air Force, Navy, Presidency, Prime Minister House, National Assembly, State Bank Building, Provincial Assemblies of Balochistan and Punjab, Cabinet Room, Karachi Portraits of eminent personalities of Indo-Pakistan for the Prime Minister Secretariats and State Guest House, Rawalpindi.
In 1969 he had the honour of painting portraits of Shaheeds for the Pakistan Military Academy, Kakul. The next year in 1967 he designed the New Emblem of the West Pakistan High Court, Lahore. He has also been honoured in 1975 to paint portraits of the Head of States, Islamic Summit Conference, Lahore.
In 1979 he made a relief Portrait of the Quaid-e-Azam for the Centenary Medal for the Armed Forces of Pakistan commissioned by the Secretary General of the Army Staff. Portraits of the Chief of the Army and Air Staff, Chairmen of the Joint Army Staff, Commandents of the Staff College, Quetta, Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Mangla and Risalpur followed by a mural title "The History of the P.A.F" in 1980.
In 1988 he again painted the largest portrait of the Quaid-e-Azam, for the Republic Day Parade, Rawalpindi. The next year he painted portraits of Allama Iqbal, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Moulvi Abdul Haq of Bengal for the Lahore Museum in 1989. He has also been chosen to made portraits of our sports heroes such as Jahangir Khan and Imran Khan Sculpture busts for the Olympic Museum, Lahore in 1992 and a "Wrestler" relief for the Olympic Museum, Lahore the same year.
In 1998 he designed a relief of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah for One Rupee Coin issued on 14th August that year. Then he designed all Postage Stamps of Pioneer of Freedom series including twenty seven stamps issued on 14th August for the Golden Jubilee Celebration of the Pakistan Resolution in 1998-1999. Going through his career one see a deep love for the country and he did what he could with the help of his Art to serve the country. His paintings are in numerous corporations, in public and private collections at home and as well abroad. He has many students who want to follow in his foot steps and art lovers who admire him a lot.
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