
Priya Singh
Head of Department
Sold for £10,240 inc. premium
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Cataloguer
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 Untitled (Calligraphic) pushed the boundaries of the art form, earning him widespread acclaim both at home and abroad.
In Untitled (Calligraphic) he has employed a subdued colour palette of oranges, reds, browns and blacks which evokes a sense of warmth and earthiness. Filling the entire composition, Gulgee's meticulous attention to detail is evident in the precise arrangement of the strokes 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.
To see a similar work sold in these rooms see Bonhams, Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art Online, London, 26th July - 6th August 2024, lot 54.