During his stay in Sri Lanka, Jimmy Engineer held an exhibition of prints of his selected paintings, about 50 in number including his famous Pakistan Movement series and architectural compositions, at the Lionel Wendt Memorial Art Centre and also addressed large number of Pakistani community members at a reception hosted in his honour by Pakistan High Commission in Colombo.
During a telephonic conversation with a group of journalists here on Saturday, Jimmy Engineer said that he had donated prints of his selected paintings to the Lionel Wendt Memorial Art Centre, popular hub of cultural activities in Colombo, which is in the mid of celebrating 60 years of its existence.
Jimmy Engineer, who always identifies himself as disciple of the Great Master, the Al-Musawwir, said that while addressing the Pakistani community he had talked about the spiritual connection that drives him to serve Pakistan as an artist. He said he had told the gathering "All my life I'll remain a pupil and I'll never become a master". This was a reference to his biography titled "In Search Of My Master" written by well-known art critic and writer Marjorie Husain and published earlier this year.
The Karachi-based artist of international repute and fame said in respond to queries that his famous Pakistan Movement series of paintings had given recognition both nationally and internationally adding that he regards all his art creations as a God-given gift. He said that the paintings on huge canvasses, numbering about a dozen, were just to acknowledge the struggle, sufferings and sacrifices of millions of men, women and children during the movement for the creation of their new Motherland, Pakistan, which they had achieved in 1947 under the inspiring leadership of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
He said this was his second visit to Sri Lanka after 2004 when he had gone there and organised about half a dozen fun and food programmes for large number physically handicapped and mentally retarded Special Children taking them to posh hotels, restaurants in Colombo and elsewhere in the island country with the collaboration and co-operation of their management's.