The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) celebrated Pakistan Resolution Day on 23rd March, 2019 by holding a special exhibition "Art in Coinage" at SBP Museum, Karachi.
The exhibition highlights the work of renowned artist Abdul Jabbar Gul as well as history of coinage. While inaugurating the exhibition, Jameel Ahmad, Deputy Governor, State Bank said that this exhibition is unique in the sense that history is told through art by highlighting the artistry in coinage of Pakistan, which is usually overlooked due to small size of coins.
"Today we commemorate the efforts of those daring individuals of the subcontinent, who in the face of adversity resolved to establish a separate homeland. The clarity of their vision and the depth of their commitment is evident by the fact that Pakistan came into being within just seven years after the resolution was passed," he added.
The Deputy Governor drew attention of the audience towards the mural installed on the façade of the LRC Building in the compound of SBP, terming it as an iconic symbol within the premises of SBP and appreciated the work done by Abdul Jabbar Gul, who was also present on the occasion.
Abdul Jabbar Gul was selected in 2004 to design and install a huge coin mural on the building of Learning Resource Centre, State Bank of Pakistan. The mural is 18ft high and 24 ft wide containing 45 coins with remarkable beauty. He completed this remarkable and unique project in just four months.
The exhibition displays models of these 45 coins used in the murals, which were replicated on actual scale and put up on panels of 3ftx3ft. The technique used in creating murals is of model casting process whereby design were made in MDF Lasani wood and then molding was done in plaster. Using the "cold bronze casting" technique in which the bronze powder is mixed with resin to prepare the plaster. Several periods of coinage starting from cowrie shell to the decimalization of coinage, table of conversion, design process of coinage and a chronological history of coins of Pakistan from 1948 to date. The exhibition was attended by consul generals of Turkey and Japan, dignitaries of the city, State Bank officials and people from different walk of life.