Ramzan Shad

The Journey of a Professional Artist Biography

Achievements

Commissioned Works

Paintings in Australia

Born in a small town in Pakistan, Ramzan Shad belong from a middle-class family, raised by hard-working parents. After completing high school, Ramzan Shad had a passion for arts and he well founded his skills by then that he had been bestowed with some God gifted skills, He found the art of turning his talent and skills on a canvas or a chart paper very smoothly and easily. Starting his career as an Arts teacher in one of the well-known schools in Asia,

Beaconhouse School System, and building up his family and nurturing for them had been a long life for the artist. He is having a couple of his children living in Australia and he himself living with the rest of his family back in Pakistan. The journey seems to have just started for Ramzan Shad, when his paintings and arts works ended up in Australia through his daughter and family friends.

Achievements

A fine arts Artist is often faced with the question from where and how to start. Ramzan Shad had a decades working on his arts work and building up his dreams to represent himself on a wider scale and among the international community of Artist. Being part of the wider community is what the Artist dreams for. Ramzan Shad wanted to make a professional trial of his works internationally. As in the article National Fine Arts Title Registry launches Professional Artist Program; (2005) the author mentions how artist and film director

John Cherry founded NFATR for more than a year’s time and spotted the need for artists to be able to document it and track their works they create during their career’.

From last few decades, Ramzan Shad has participated in a lot of exhibitions. Initially, his enthusiasm was shown in 1982 when he participated in National Art Exhibition in Islamabad P.N.C.A. This was from where he drove his inspiration and aspiration from other artists as well, who shared their ideas, art work and skills all together under one roof.

Figure 1. Landscape, Oil on Canvas Ref # 02639, 24 x 30 in. Artchowk Gallery

The following are some of his major participation and shows at different art galleries in Pakistan.

1983       Participated in All Pakistan Art Exhibition & awarded special prize. 1986       Participated in group show Artists from Baluchistan. 1993       Solo Show at “The Gallery Quetta” 1994-1995       Participated in various group shows. 1996       Participated in National Exhibition. 1999       Group Show IDARA-E-SAQAFAT PAKISTAN 2002       Four Men Show at Jahanzeb Art Gallery Karachi. 2003       Group show at PEARL (Quetta) 2005       Group show at IDARA-E-SAQAFAT QUETTA 2008       International Group Show At JAM SHORO University. 2009 Group Show at Cultural Center, Quetta Pakistan

One of the previous exhibitions Ramzan Shad participated was a three men show including Ahmed Khan and Moazzam Ali at Pakistan Fine Arts Gallery in Karachi, Pakistan. Ramzan Shad had put his oil work in this exhibition which attracted attention of other artist, provided that he had a unique touch and a way to paint his paintings. These exhibitions and the centers for these Artists comprises all of the artists' gathering spaces that offer conversations, networking, building professional relationships, mentoring, shared workspace and tools, readings, and displaying their art works take place (Markusen and Johnson, 2006) (Markusen 2006, p. 1932). Markusen (2006, p. 1932) draws that “Centers involve dedicated space that is available for ongoing

visits, where membership and access to many events is available to all comers, and where other artistic functions are available on a more selective, often openly competitive, basis”.As mentioned above about Ramzan Shad’s major participation at different art galleries sometimes on his own and mostly at time as group shows, was the place where he learned about boundary less opportunities. Ramzan Shad had sent his oil and water colour paintings to overseas to gift his friends and family friends (sometimes making paintings on their special and specific requests) on auspicious occasions. Not just hat his paintings are now distributed in the cities of Pakistan but also internationally from Europe to Australia.

Figure 2. Water Color on Paper, Code: PT: 1576. 11" x 15

Commissioned Works

Ramzan Shad had an extensive history of commissioned works as an Artist. He has not just made private commissioned paintings but on a number of occasions made some outstanding and unique relief paintings, water color and oil paintings for different organizations as well. There are numerous to mention but the relief art works for National Bank of Pakistan and Pakistan Army have been a stand out. It is important to identify the way Ramzan Shad works which has created his own unique identity, not just in relief art works but also the way he does his oil paintings and water colors.

We often see the way Fine Arts Artists adopt a psychological way of creating their own style. A lot of examples from different Artists can be quoted but it would be important to notice the way Alastair Sooke has pointed out Lucian Freud way of working on his paintings. Sooke points out the maturity from his art work. Sooke (2012, p. 39) draws “His mature style is unforgettable. Today his reputation rests upon his unflinching nudes, craggy flesh-monsters seemingly sculpted out of encrusted paint. Even the pigment he used for pasty bodies, known as Cremnitz white, is unusually stiff and indestructible, since it is saturated with heavy lead carbonate”. It can be noted how a critic draws the attention of his audience by bringing one’s attention about an artist touches on his paintings. On another occasion Sooke (2012, p. 39) “Freud's nudes are far from idealized. There is nothing flattering about them: no nip-and-tuck here, no graceful elision of blemishes or wobbly bits there”.

Figure 3. The Royal Collection Figure 4. Portrait Lucian Freud. of Queen Elizabeth 2001 Ramzan Shad 2011

An artist’s art work will either be appreciated or will be completely misunderstood by an audience hence, attracting critics. Similarly, same is for Ramzan Shad who has been no exception. There were people around himself who always appreciated his art works and encouraged him and while others failed to comply the sense of his art. Kaleem Khan, Director of Fine Arts Quetta, “Ramzan is somebody who not only tries to look at things or scenes from novel and unusual angles, but employs a very different and distinct palette, something very special, and something which is quite unlike to the customary taste of that local art lovers.”(Pakistan Art Review 2011). Among various reasons of his success and taste in arts, his style has been observed as unique in the eyes of senior artists, from whom Ramzan Shad learned throughout his professional career.

Ramzan Shad art works mostly comprises of Oil and Water colors. It must be pointed out that he possesses a smooth grip on his fingers when working with pencil colors as well. He has mostly used art galleries for his commissioned art work or where he puts his brilliant paintings for sale. Art Galleries in Karachi, Pakistan is a popular one stop for artists, art lovers, socializing, events and commercial purposes. Art Galleries recognizes an artist works and loves to develop professional relationships with them. Without the artists art work, the art galleries are not nothing but a mere like an empty office ready to be furnished. A gallery owner in California puts grounds of his business on the mutual beneficial between the artist-dealer relationships (Frankel 1999, p. 20). From a business point

of view for the Art Galleries they maintain a wonderful contact and communication for the success of their art galleries and arts in particular. Frankel (1999, 1999, p. 20) draws Redfern on his antique paintings, "I have one of the largest inventories in the state," he says. "I don't take on second-tier painters, even though I could sell their work. I prefer to spend more money and buy the best I can versus buying for the sake of quantity. Quality always holds out, even in a slow market. The best paintings will always sell and the average paintings will not." This shows that only quality is sold always, which truly reflects the wonderful paintings of Ramzan Shad. The following are some of the amazing and master pieces of his commissioned art works in Pakistan:

Relief in Fiber Glass for NBP (National Bank of Pakistan) 40’ x 5’ Relief in Fiber Glass for PAF Monumental sculptures for Staff College. 24 Portraits of QUAID-E-AZAM for Ministers

Block Quetta. Oil Paintings for Governor House Quetta Paintings for School of tactics & Infantry Quetta Paintings for Quetta Club & S.S.G.C Company Paintings for 41 DIV Quetta Paintings for Serena Hotel Quetta Illustrations for “The Book Group Karachi &

NGO’s Water Colors for BSS calendar 2000. Paintings for ICI Deluxe Calendar 2004 Cultural Paintings for Bolan House Islamabad Paintings for Frontier Core. Relief in fiber glass for 41-DIV Quetta. Size 250sq

fts Private Collections at various Art nationally & abroad Paintings for Staff College, Quetta (2009) Figure 5. Relief Art Work, NBP, Portraits for 41 Division, Quetta Pakistan, Ramzan Shad Watercolors paintings for Pakistan Army, Sindh

Paintings in Australia

The question arises how come an artist’s paintings from Pakistan ended up or can end up in Australia. The above columns strongly stress the art works exhibited in Pakistan and in the art galleries but how history was created and a new chapter has been opened for Ramzan Shad’s art work in Australia. Now that the paintings made it to Australia in face of requested demand of his daughter in Shepparton and a family friend in Sydney, Ramzan Shad has started thinking about coming to Australia for a visiting purpose and sees how he can contribute his skills, art and passion in the diverse multi-cultural Australian community. On one occasion he had to even send his art work and the frames of his paintings to his daughter through post. History was certainly created even in unwanted way but this is just the beginning of a remarkable landmark.

It will be important if Ramzan Shad will be considering for a longer stay than a typical visit to Australia and also visit his children here. He has been a curious artist and his hunger for exploring new style of art will definitely prompt him to participate in the local cultural and art festivals. Bennett (2010, p. 117) draws a remarkable quote “It is well known that a pilgrimage overseas can be crucial to the career development of specialist creative artists. All too often, however, the pilgrimage becomes a permanent migration. Significantly, the loss of this creative talent is not limited to the national level.” It remains in the interest of the artist to

showcase his skills and artistic works in Australia and at the same remain in a subdue connection and constant communication with his former stakeholders in Pakistan. Bennett (2010, p. 117) points out “Creativity, whether that of artists or of those whose creativity is embedded within other areas of the economy, is often cited as crucially important to the economy (Anheier & Isar 2008; Glaeser 2003).”

Figure 6. On a request of his daughter, Ramzan Shad painted this painting in 2013. The picture was taken from an art book(presently unknown about the original artist).

References:

‘National Fine Arts Title Registry launches Professional Artist Program’ May, 2005, vol.69 (754), p.10 (1)

Markusen, A 2006, ‘Urban development and the politics of a creative class:Evidence from a study of artists’, vol. 38, pp. 1932.

Art Scene Galleries, Ramzan Shad, image, viewed 12 October 2015, http://www.artscenegalleries.com/painting-detail.asp?Page=1&Artist=Ramzan Shad.

Artchowk, Ramzan Shad, images, viewed 13 October 2015, <http://www.artchowk.com/Views/gallery/show_bigger.php?id=2639>.

Art Scene Galleries, Ramzan Shad, image, viewed 13 October 2015, <http://www.artscenegalleries.com/painting-detail.asp?Artist=Ramzan%20Shad>.

Sooke, A 2012, ‘Astonish, disturb, seduce, convince: Lucian Freud's mature works can be merciless - but his early paintings, now on show at the National Portrait Gallery, show a more delicate side to this most autobiographical of artists’ vol. 141 no. 5092, pp.39(3).

Shamim Akhter, Pakistan Art Review 2011, A New Art Gallery, viewed 17 October 2015, http://www.pakistanartreview.net/9th_issue/9th_page_1.html.

2001, Freud royal portrait divides critics, image, BBC NEWS, viewed 17 October 2015, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1723071.stm.

Ramzan Shad 2011, Portraits, Facebook, 27 October, viewed 17 October 2015, https://www.facebook.com/106187122743943/photos/a.106201356075853.11311.106187122743943/295723280456992/?type=3&src=https%3A%2F%2Ffbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net%2Fhphotos-ak-xlf1%2Fv%2Ft1.0-9%2F299612_295723280456992_470987345_n.jpg%3Foh%3Daed4048e8e8ab69bd497539402cdc144%26oe%3D568AF471%26__gda__%3D1455645984_4864ca225de16d796f6cacd64b293866&size=700%2C920&fbid=295723280456992.

Frankel, Karen 1999, ‘How an Art Dealer Works (Art dealer Ray Redfern handles antique paintings, and the works of three living artists), vol. 42, no. 2, pp. 168.

Ramzan Shad 2010, Cultural relief of Balochistan by Ramzan Shad and Mousavi, Facebook 23 March, viewed 17 October 2015, < https://www.facebook.com/106187122743943/photos/a.106196349409687.11307.106187122743943/106196552743000/?type=3&theater>.

Bennett, Dawn 2010, ‘Creative Migration: a Western Australian case study of creative artists, vol. 41, no. 1, pp.117-128

Figure 6, Photo taken on 17 October 2015 at Shepparton.

Background watermark prints taken from Ramzan Shad’s painting from Facebook (Ramzan Shad) with his permission.

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