Arts and literature are not at all appreciated by the general public of Pakistan but if an award of that typical category is given to a talented individual, then indeed his day has been made. It just so happened in Berlin that Deutsche Bank’s Global Art Advisory Council art program has bestowed Imran Qureshi with the title of “Artist of the Year” for 2013.
“The award means a lot to me,” said the proud Imran Qureshi. “It is good news from Pakistan for the Pakistani people and the art community which will project a positive image of the country to the outer world and that is the most important thing for me.”
Comedian and brother Faisal Qureshi was also quite pleased for the success. “It is a huge achievement for Pakistan — I am not only proud of him as a brother but also as a Pakistani,” says brother Faisal. “When Imran was exhibiting his work and won an award in Sharjah, everyone commented on the impact his work had made and the fact that he was able to tie loudness with subtlety, which allowed him to really stand out.”
It should be noted that Pakistan is filled with talented individuals in the field of arts and literature and it is a shameful fact that the country itself is not taking any measures to provide a proper and financed platform for them while other countries are doing so for not only their own individuals but also ours as Imran Qureshi’s art will be displayed in Berlin in the spring of 2013.