Aqeel Solangi
Aqeel Solangi | |
---|---|
Born | Ranipur, Pakistan |
Residence | Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan |
Nationality | Pakistan |
Alma mater | National College of Arts (NCA) |
Known for | Painting, contemporary art |
Awards | 'A Vision of the Future-2006' by the Lahore Arts Council |
Website | http://www.aqeelsolangi.blogspot.com/ |
Aqeel Solangi (born 1981) is a contemporary visual artist based in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. He works in various mediums including painting, drawing and sculpture. He has been exhibiting nationally and internationally. He teaches at the National College of Arts, Rawalpindi Campus. He lives and works in Rawalpindi where he also conducts drawing and painting classes at Solangi's Studio.
Life and education
Aqeel Solangi was born in Ranipur, Sindh. Currently he studies MA Fine Art at Bath School of Art and Design Bath Spa University Bath, Somerset UK. He completed his BFA with honors in 2003 and MA (Hons.) Visual Art in 2005, both from the National College of Arts, Lahore. He was the recipient of NCA/Charles Wallace Pakistan Trust Art Bursary for The Prince's School of Traditional Arts, London in 2006. He was part of the 2013 Artist's workshop in China and Tumair Village Artists' residency organized by The National Art Gallery, Pakistan (Islamabad). He has worked as sign and cinema board painter at Mehboob Painters in Khairpur (Mir's), and also attended extensive art courses at artist Mussarat Mirza's studio in Sukkur, Sindh. Solangi has received 'A Vision of the Future-2006' Young Artists Award by The Lahore Arts Council in 2006.
Art career
Solangi's work is shown nationally and internationally in important venues notably Asia House London, Esse space Beijing, Amdavad ni Gufa Ahmedabad India,Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, The National Gallery of Thailand, Alhamra Art Gallery, Lahore and The National Art Gallery, Pakistan (Islamabad). Much has been written about Aqeel Solangi's work and published in various publications.
Apprenticeships and traditional art practices
Having an agrarian background, Solangi started his career as Sign and Cinema board painter at Mehboob Painters in Khairpur (Mir's) in 1996-1999, during this apprenticeship (Ustadi Shagirdi) he joined renowned artist Mussarat Mirza's studio in Sukkur, Sindh in 1999. In MA (Hons.) Visual Art at National College of Arts, Lahore, the course offered compulsory components ‘Seminars on South Asian Arts’ and ‘a placement with traditional practitioner for 4-6 weeks', that led him to extend his studies and research in the field and wrote an extended essay titled: Classical Fresco Painting (Naqqashi) (Formulae & Techniques in Indigenous practice). He opted his traditional placement with Ustad Saif ur Rehman for 6 weeks on Classical Fresco Painting (Naqqashi) in 2004 and this tie continued till his completion of studies at the National College of Arts, Lahore in 2005-6. In 2006 he received NCA/Charles Wallace Pakistan Trust Art Bursary for The Prince's School of Traditional Arts, London where he attended various workshops on Sacred Geometry, Gilding, Islimi, Methods and Materials, Persian miniature painting and Icon painting.
Exhibitions
- 2016: "MAFIA". Walcot Chapel.Bath, UK.
- 2015: "Between the Lines". COMSATS Art Gallery. Islamabad.
- 2015: "Sadequain aur Mein". Gallery 6. Islamabad.
- 2014: ‘Tactile Journeys’. Tanzara Gallery. Islamabad.
- 2014: "A Flight in Sunshine". Gallery 6. Islamabad.
- 2014: Art Within and Beyond Pakistan. Asia House. London. UK.
- 2014: SINDH reverberating sounds echo through the desert. KOEL Gallery. Karachi.
- 2014: Resilient Ambassadors. Gallery 6. Islamabad.
- 2013: CONNECT: EXPAND+ (3’’X 3’’ Project). The National Gallery, Bangkok. Thailand.
- 2013: Pakistani Artists’ workshop in China, ESSE Space. D-Park, 798 Art Zone, Beijing, China.
- 2013: "An Art Affair". International Creative Art Centre (ICAC). Mumbai.
- 2013: "Merging Imaginations", A Kaleidoscope of creative expressions by emerging Hungarian & Pakistani Artists.NAG.Islamabad.
- 2013: ‘Relocation Mapped’. KOEL Gallery. Karachi.
- 2012: "Soul Searchers". Rohtas Gallery. Islamabad. (3 person exhibition with Ahmed Ali Manganhar & Imran Channa).
- 2012: "Mein", the artist and the self. KOEL Gallery. Karachi.
- 2011: ‘Vusat-e- Bahr –o-Bar’. KOEL Gallery. Karachi.
- 2011: "Opening Lines". Public Art Exhibitions. Islamabad.
- 2010: "Metonyms for memories". POPPSEED Gallery. Karachi.( 2 person exhibition with Shehrbano Hussain)
- 2010: ‘The Root, The ground, and The Air’. KOEL Gallery. Karachi.
- 2009: "First Impressions". A celebration of Contemporary South Asian Art. Dubai U.A.E.
- 2009: ‘Substantial Territories’. Rohtas Gallery. Islamabad.
- 2008: 13th Asian Art Biennale, Dhaka. Bangladesh.
- 2008: ‘Sufficient Grounds’. Nomad Gallery. Islamabad.
- 2006: A Vision Of The Future. Exhibition of Young Artists. Alhamra. Lahore.
- 2005: ‘Time & Memory’, Degree Show MA (Hons.) Visual Art. Zahoor ul Akhlaque Gallery. National College of Arts, Lahore.
- 2003: ‘Non physical realities’, Thesis Display (BFA) Fine Arts Department. National College of Arts, Lahore.
References
- Dr.Akber Naqvi: http://www.adapk.com/2013/02/whispering-images.html
- Aasim Akhtar: http://aqeelsolangi.blogspot.com/2008/08/persistence-of-memory-by-aasim-akhtar.html
- Marjorie Husain: http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/in-paper-magazine/gallery/unconventional-dialogue-720
- Salwat Ali: http://www.dawn.com/2011/05/01/interview-in-sync-with-nature.html
- Dr. Mamoona Khan: http://nation.com.pk/islamabad/15-Dec-2014/tangible-intangible-traits-in-aqeel-solangi-s-art
- Amra Ali: http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/apr2011-weekly/nos-24-04-2011/enc.htm#3
- Noor Jehan Mecklai: http://www.thefridaytimes.com/beta/tft/article.php?issue=20110617&page=20
- Shamim Akhtar: http://www.pakistanartreview.net/7th_Issue/7th_Page_5.html
- Ilona Yusuf: http://www.artnowpakistan.com/detail.php?id=106
- Peerzada Salman: http://dawn.com/2013/02/03/relocation-mapped/
- Nadeem Zuberi: http://weeklypulse.org/details.aspx?contentID=3328&storylist=3
- Aamer Dhamani: http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2011/11/%e2%80%98appearance-disappearance-and-reappearance%e2%80%99/
- Batul Tunio: http://www.newslinemagazine.com/2011/05/art-review-aqeel-solangi/
- Sheema Zain: http://www.brecorder.com/index.php?id=1017712
External links
- http://www.aqeelsolangi.blogspot.com/
- http://www.pakistanartreview.net/44th_Issue/44th_Page_2.html
- http://www.khaasgallery.com/TheCollectionKhaasArtist.aspx?AID=32
- http://www.vaslart.org/xhtml/artdir/contemporary/List%20A/aqeel_solangi/index.html
- http://www.thesindhtimes.com/entertainment/creating-art-is-a-never-ending-journey-towards-the-unknown-aqeel-solangi/