
Priya Singh
Head of Department
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Property from a private collection, UK.
Dated 1969, this powerful drawing is a classic example of Sadequain's expressive style from his most prolific and creative period. The work is reminiscent of his broader Mystic Figurations and Crucifixion series from the 1960s, both of which demonstrate the artist's masterful handling of the human shape.
The present lot features the artist's signature elongated and stylised lines. Through a transformative depiction of the naked male body, the artist portrays a deeper, more profound state of being, reflecting a sense of both spiritual and physical anguish. As art critic Barnett D. Conlan observed, Sadequain was 'not abstract although some of his large compositions... came very near to it. Nor is he a surrealist... He transforms [forms of nature] into a world of his own by the force of his imagination' (quoted in I. Dadi, Modernism and the Art of Muslim South Asia, 2010, p. 156).
This piece, with its powerful depiction of the human body and imaginative use of line, showcases the artist's ability to convey profound emotion through form.
Sadequain garnered great acclaim throughout his career, both during and after his lifetime. His work was featured in numerous solo exhibitions, including those at the Commonwealth Institute Galleries in London and Galerie Lambert in Paris. He was also the recipient of several prestigious awards, including the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz award by the Government of Pakistan in 1960, the Biennale de Paris award by the Government of France in 1961, and the Cultural Award by the Government of Australia in 1975.