Enrica Medugno
Sale Coordinator
Lot 23*
Ismail Gulgee(1926-2007)Allah
5 June 2024, 14:00 BST
London, New Bond Street£12,000 - £18,000
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Priya Singh
Head of Department
Ismail Gulgee (1926-2007)
Allah
signed and dated 'Gulgee 04' lower right
oil on canvas, framed
44.4 x 29.1cm (17 1/2 x 11 7/16in).
signed and dated 'Gulgee 04' lower right
oil on canvas, framed
44.4 x 29.1cm (17 1/2 x 11 7/16in).
Footnotes
Provenance
Property from a private collection, Pakistan.
Acquired from the artist.
Born on December 25, 1926, in Peshawar, British India (now Pakistan), Gulgee's artistic journey began at an early age, nurtured by his father, who was himself an accomplished calligrapher. After completing his education in Peshawar, Gulgee enrolled at the prestigious National College of Arts, where he honed his skills under the guidance of renowned artists such as Shakir Ali and Ustad Haji Sharif.
Gulgee's artistic prowess soon caught the attention of the art world, and he quickly gained recognition for his innovative approach to traditional Islamic calligraphy. His bold and dynamic interpretations of Arabic script, as seen in Allah pushed the boundaries of the art form, earning him widespread acclaim both at home and abroad.
In Allah he has employed a subdued colour palette of oranges, reds, browns and blacks which evokes a sense of warmth and earthiness that complements the spiritual significance of the subject matter. Filling the entire composition, Gulgee's meticulous attention to detail is evident in the precise arrangement of the letters, as well as the subtle variations in line thickness and spacing that give the composition a sense of depth and dimension. Luminous and captivating, it is unsurprising that his works are a favourite among collectors and adorn the walls of palaces, museums, and private collections around the world.