Laila Shahzada

Laila Shahzada was a Pakistani painter who is regarded as a pioneer of modern art in the country. She was born in 1926 in Faisalabad, Pakistan. She studied philosophy and political science at Kinnaird College for Women University in Lahore, and later learned painting from B.C. Sanyal, a prominent Indian artist. She was also influenced by Mario Perlingieri, an Italian prisoner of war who introduced her to the works of Picasso. She held her first solo exhibition at the Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi in 1949, which was a breakthrough for modern art in Pakistan. Her paintings were stylized and abstract, with titles such as "Wind", "Wisdom", and "Metamorphosis". She used color and form to express her ideas and emotions, rather than depicting realistic scenes. She won several awards for her paintings and sculptures, and also represented Pakistan in international exhibitions. She received a scholarship to study at St. Martin's School of Art in London in 1950, and later moved to Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris in 1951. She returned to Pakistan in 1952, and continued to paint and exhibit her work. She also became the director of the Contemporary Art Gallery in Rawalpindi in 1961, where she promoted and supported other modern artists. She received the President's Award for Pride of Performance in 1965. She was awarded the "Key to the City" of New York in 1975 — the only Pakistani to receive this award. To honor her work, a commemorative postage stamp was issued for her in 2006 by the Pakistan Postal Department. She died of natural causes in her studio in Karachi, Pakistan on 20 July 1994. She was 68 years old.