Ismail Gulgee (Pakistan b. 1926-2007). "Untitled (from The Nutka Series)". 2004.
Oil on Canvas. Unframed dimensions: 48 in x 48 in (121.9 cm x 121.9 cm)
This work is framed and in excellent condition.

This is a rare abstract oil painting by famed Pakistani Contemporary artist Ismail Gulgee that belongs to his serene and harmonious "Nutka Series" of oil paintings. The simple composition of a large dark circle at center surrounded by the glow of yellow is intentionally meditative and serene, as are all the paintings from this Series. The richness, and simple intensity of this painting make it one of Gulgee's finest non-calligraphic paintings to date.

Ismail Gulgee is beloved in his home country of Pakistan and is considered one of the most famous Post-Modern and Contemporary Pakistani artists of all time, revered even before his tragic death in 2007. Before his career as an artist. He was a qualified engineer in the U.S. trained at Harvard and self-taught abstract painter and portrait painter. His first solo exhibition was in 1950. Before 1959, as portraitist, he painted the entire Afghan Royal Family. From the 1960's until his passing, he was critically acclaimed internationally as an abstract painter, influenced by the tradition of Islamic calligraphy and iconography and by American "action painting" that became the hallmark of his oil paintings and works on paper. This confluence of calligraphy and action painting is a natural enough stylistic combination, since in both a high value is placed on the unity and energy of gestural flow of the paint as medium and subject. Guljee, as he was famously known, received many requests for his paintings internationally, from the Saudi royal family to the Islamabad presidency. Many of his works are placed in the "Faisal Mosque" in Islamabad. Guljee received many awards, including in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Japan and France. His works are collected world-wide and are in select Museums and Private Collections.