Mashkoor Raza

A graduate and a gold medalist from Karachi School of Art in 1972, during the last 20 years or so, Mashkoor Raza has figured prominently in the art world of Pakistan as one of the most prolific impressionist and abstract artists in the country. From the beginning, his work has been more roughly brushed in and richly coloured. Even until 1980, his style had not fully matured but was working towards it. In the work which he exhibited in a solo exhibition in June 1980, his paintings showed what looked like piles of rough round stones, closely bunched together, with some bigger slabs or blocks above and below them, and empty spaces in the surrounding picture area.

By 1991, he was freely turning out paintings of horses in all conceivable positions — running, rearing, prancing and so on. While he has also experimented with calligraphy, he is primarily known for his excellence in impressionist and abstract art. His style has found maturity over a period of time. His art enjoys rare distinction in the world of art for the rough layers and surfaces eminent in his works. He is commonly known as the Master of Distorted Art in the local art circles.