Bashir Mirza (Pakistani, 1941-2000) Untitled (Flowers in a Vase)

Property from the I.R Siddiqi Collection
Bashir Mirza (Pakistani, 1941-2000)
Untitled (Flowers in a Vase)
signed and dated 'BM 91 RN' lower left
acrylic on board, framed
69.5 x 54.4cm (27 3/8 x 21 7/16in).
Provenance
Property from a private collection, Singapore.
Acquired from the artist;
Thence by descent to the present owner.

Bashir Mirza was renowned for his unique style and artistic vision. Never one to paint the same subject, he constantly sought to reinvent himself. Oscillating between figuration and abstraction, BM's works reflect his moods and environment.

Known to have dabbled in various endeavours and having stopped painting altogether between 1973-1988 to concentrate on his advertising business, his return to art was the result of his desire to be remembered as a painter. More importantly perhaps, 1988 witnessed Francis Newton Souza's second trip to Pakistan. Unlike Souza's first trip however, when he stayed with Wahab Jaffer and held an exhibition of his works at Ali Imam's Indus Gallery, on his second outing Souza stayed with BM, and even used his studio. This had a great impact on BM, as it not only reignited BM's desire to paint, but also introduced him to a new way to paint. Souza taught BM how to make fast paintings by using acrylic to obtain instant results. This gestural style was seen in his series of works which included Two Faces and Head, both from 1990, and is also evident in the present lot, painted in 1991.

Created using six colours, orange, white, blue, green, yellow, and red, there is an emotional intensity to this work. The vase dominates the composition and together with the stems and flowers appears to have been painted using the same thick brushstroke consistency, as if painted in a hurry. Details are obsolete and there is an insatiable lust for paint. The colours and strokes are the main subject with the vase and flowers catering to them. The style, which is unmistakably BM, reflects how he viewed his life. He wanted to be famous, wealthy, and powerful, and in his book, Bashir Mirza: Acrylic Series, 1984-1994, published in the mid-1990s, he mentioned that he had achieved many of his dreams. This is perhaps the reason why he has signed the work using only his initials and was able to paint in this style. The other initials which appear beneath his, belonged to the owner's grandfather, who acquired the work from the artist.