About the artist
b. Lahore, 1966·Lives and works in Islamabad, Pakistan
Abid Khan was born in Lahore in 1966. His early life was spent working alongside his optician father, but his attention was always on painting and drawing.
Without the resources for a formal art education, he pursued the practice independently while reading for a Master’s degree in English Literature, which he completed at Punjab University in 1993. That grounding in classical and modern literature sharpened rather than satisfied the need for pictorial expression, and he turned to painting entirely.
He works in oil on canvas, using Sennelier paints, building a landscape in layers of small strokes until the atmosphere of a particular hour settles on the surface. The subjects are the valleys, orchards, meadows and winter villages of northern Pakistan, returned to season after season.
Over more than two decades he has held ten solo exhibitions and taken part in eleven group shows, in Pakistan and abroad. His paintings have been auctioned at Christie’s in London, shown in Singapore, Germany, Dubai, Oman, Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom, and are held in private and permanent collections worldwide.
- Oil on canvas, Sennelier paints
- 10 solo exhibitions, 11 group shows
- Auctioned at Christie’s, London
- Collected in the USA, Europe, the Middle East and Asia
- Art residencies in northern Pakistan on climate change
Artist Statement
To me, art is a universal visual language. I am not looking for artificial glamour, but for originality and the natural manifestation of the environment. I use colour to reflect atmosphere and to catch the multihued, misty moments that invite the viewer into nature’s solace.
More or less all forms of art communicate a message, but a painting done with purity of heart and soul can move this world emotionally and psychologically. When the tiny strokes painted by an inspired brush are blended into one another, in several layers, you see the true picture of humanity and love.
I feel love, peace and harmony in this romantic and classical dance of natural splendours: the songs of the nightingale in spring, the whispering breeze of summer, the calm weather of winter, and the withering colours of autumn. I constantly look for beauty and harmony around me in this city of gardens. Nature smiles at me when I pass by.
The struggles and hardships of life only boost my spirit to create better work. How wonderful it is for a painter to live and paint without discrimination on the basis of language, religion or region.
Exhibitions & Milestones
- 2025
- Presented by the Government of PakistanWork presented to World Bank President Ajay Banga, Washington D.C.
- 2023
- The Golf ScenePrivate collection of David Kohler, USA.
- 2020
- Award of ExcellenceArtists Association of Punjab, 34th Annual Art Exhibition, in recognition of artistic merit and contribution to contemporary art.
- 2017
- My GardenPermanent collection, Japan.
- 2015
- Colours in HarmonyGroup exhibition of contemporary art from Pakistan; and Spectrum, Oman.
- 2013
- Christie’s, LondonA painting auctioned by the house — the artist’s first international sale at auction.
- 2005
- Solo exhibitionGalleria Corner Cafe, Dubai.
- 2002
- Hazy MomentsPermanent collection, Germany.
- 1999
- Group exhibitionNotices Art Gallery, Singapore.
Education
- 1993
- MA English Literature, Punjab University, Lahore