“I often see a painting gracing a wall somewhere, I appreciate the effort behind it only to realise that it is in fact my own creation,” he said.

Painting for the past 40 years, Parvez said he has lost count of how many paintings he has under his belt to this date and where many of his pieces are now. In fact, he was quite optimistic about it. Parvez wished to see his masterpiece end up in the White House. It took Parvez three months to complete the Obamas portrait, which he made a year ago. Pointing towards the portrait of the Obamas, Parvez revealed how his friend ‘Agha Sahab’ advised him to paint the first family of the US suggesting it could be a late breakthrough in his career. His paintings have so far been bought in the price range of Rs 10,000 to Rs 200,000, depending on the work's size and content. Parvez decided to turn his passion of fine arts into a profession. “ I gave more importance to my will and passion,” he added. He would rather I became a wrestler,” Parvez said, recalling how his family reacted on his decision to pursue fine art. “My father did not want me to become an artist, he thought the mental effort that art demands would weaken me. Parvez started painting for local art galleries under the training of his mentor, whom he referred to as Sardar Sahab, in 1971 and has never stopped since.Ī painting by Parvez's son that was displayed in one of the exhibitions at Arts Council.- Yumna Rafi “I wanted Raheel to become a doctor and Jisarat, a pilot,” Parvez said, his tone wistful. Parvez, a resident of Lyari’s ‘Slaughterhouse’ (locally known as Kamela) neighbourhood, is joined at his studio by his two sons - Raheel and Jisarat, who Parvez said found their way into art only a few years ago after he successfully convinced them to join him. Towards the facade, Parvez perched on a stool working on a piece, careful not to miss any highlights on the face of a rural woman he had portrayed on the canvas.īefore we even took our seats for a chat with the maestro who delicately added some final strokes to his piece, we were served tea despite our polite refusals. However, one unmistakable facet of the scene, even from a distance, was the immense portrait in which the Obama family beamed at the visitors as it sat along with some 20 other paintings in a mini art gallery in the background.Ī closer look and it was evident that the Obamas portrait was only one of the feathers in Parvez’s cap - and a small one thereof from portraits of Quaid and Jesus to depictions of old Karachi and rural Sindh, each piece seemingly attempted to engross its observer into the fascinating tale it encapsulated.

The painting of the Obamas which received instant recognition.- Yumna Rafi The once unheard of aesthete had an artistic den a few creaky benches stained with paint, a stool with a piece of glass which served the purpose of a palette and a number of men appeared into sight as narrow alleyways (and a goats’ enclosure) led us into his sunlit studio. Parvez, 60, came into media spotlight when his painting of the Obamas was photographed by a student photographer at ‘Humans of Lyari’ (HOL) - a venture of the Society for International Education and the Karachi Youth Initiative, and put up on their Facebook page after which it instantly went viral. As our vehicle drove deeper into the neighbourhood, the environs began to appear unfamiliar and archaic, but none more so than your average time-worn Saddar street.Ī few more turns into narrow roads, and skirting around road-carts or otherwise preoccupied looking pedestrians later, we finally reached the ‘studio’ of Parvez Bhatti. National and Geo Politics is complex and confusing enough for even pundits and analysts that’s studied for years.We advanced into Lyari with feelings of apprehension and excitement to meet the artist who had been recently discovered for his impeccable portrait of the Obamas. This Kid’s information strictly comes from Fox news talking points like he just knows what’s really happening in this vast world. You absolutely do need to have historical insight to be able to talk political especially if your Black, because without it you will never understand the immense struggle both in the US and Outside the US. However if you are African American and criticizing other African American’s perspective of the republican party talking points, please also view your other republican brother’s comments about how the feel about black people! for example Hymie Porkman. Which is kind of funny because our last names are all from our ancestor’s slave owners so it could be but Gruber is Irish or Scottish if I’m not mistaken. Maybe but I don’t know, but “Gruber” does not sound like an African American last name.

Obama ahmed wow thats a nice clock