ANWAR SAEED | Larger than Life Man Throwing His Burdens Away

Acquired directly from the artist circa 2005  

There is minor pigment losses around areas with small nails protruding from panel, inherent to construction of the work. A small loss is visible in the upper left corner. This work is in very good condition, as viewed.
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Anwar Saeed is one of the most prominent painters from Lahore, Pakistan. He graduated from National College of Arts, Lahore in 1978 and later attended the Royal College of Arts, London (1985). 'Anwar Saeed comes from a generation of Pakistani artists whose student years were marked by the oppressive elements of the 1980s military regime. Since then, he has emerged as a painter and print maker, whose imagery evolves from complex cross-cultural sources. Christian motifs combine with Hindu, Buddhist, Greek mythologies to form a personalized language that is at once poetic and compelling.' (S. Hashmi, 'The Eye Still Seeks,' Memory Metaphor Mutations: Contemporary Art of India and Pakistan, Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 2007, p. 26) A characteristic feature of Saeed's work, as can be seen in the current painting is 'the use of the male figure, painted in different postures… Saeed uses male figures symbolically to talk about human behavior, while also reflecting the male dominant nature of Pakistani society. Saeed also used the human body to emphasize upon different aspects of existence, such as ones relation with their inner self, as well as their outer realities, such as religion and social values. the human body is also used as a vessel to display the conflict between one's physical needs/desires and the boundaries imposed by extremist thoughts in society.' (https://hubpages.com/education/ART-AND-SEXUALITY-ANWAR-SAEED).