Birth: 1894 - 1975

works

Education: Mayo School of Art, Lahore

Biography and achievement:

Muhammad Abdur Rahman Chughtai was one of the best painters of Pakistan. He was born on the 21st of September 1894 at Mohalla Chabuk Sawaran, in the old city of Lahore, Pakistan. His father was Kareem Baksh. Chughtai started his education at the Chiney-Wali mosque in Lahore and then went on to the Railway Technical School. He studied abroad too. He painted Mughal, Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist subjects and popular Punjabi tales.

He was the most famous representative of Pakistan. Original Chughtai’s paintings were gifted to all visiting heads of states.

He was famous in his own life time. Allama Iqbal, Pablo Picasso, Queen Elizabeth II were his admirers. An estimated 25 million people saw his Wembley show in 1924. One of the most successful UNICEF cards features a Chughtai.

His works are at the British Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Peace Palace Hague, UN Headquarters New York, Kennedy Memorial Boston, US State Department Washington DC, President's House Bonn, Nizam of Hyderabad, Queen Julianna's Palace in the Netherlands, Emperor's Palace Bangkok, President House Islamabad, Governors’ Houses in Lahore and Karachi and the National Art Gallery Islamabad.