Biography

Written by Abida Goher

A name that hardly needs any more recognition in concern with Miniature Art of Pakistan. An artist whose scales are small but scopes are certainly very big. Syed A .Irfan is undoubtedly a modern master and a true identity of Pakistan.

Syed A Irfan is a self-taught artist. He was born on 26th May, 1985 in Karachi. He developed the passion of miniature painting, when he visited with his family at Lahore Museum in 1997. There he saw miniature paintings and started trying miniature art with the help of miniature art books and the internet.

At the age of 17, he for the very first time showed his art piece to the owner of Zenaini Art Gallery, Ms. Saira. She couldn’t believe her eyes. She was really impressed by his work and supported him and included him in the group exhibition in the year 2003 which was his first exhibition in Zenaini Art Gallery with other senior miniaturists.

Syed A Irfan has exhibit his work in group and solo exhibitions in different countries of the world like Pakistan, USA, Dubai, Turkey, Canada, London, China, Saudi Arab, India, Egypt and Algeria as a Pakistani representative. He has done Six solo and above 70 Group Exhibitions in different countries. Mughal Traditional Miniature has actually become his identity. Furthermore, he has also done Oriental and Contemporary style miniature work.

Seeing his great talent he’d been awarded by PTV the Best Performance Award in 2007. He won a Special Prize in Sadequain Award Exhibition in 2006, and in 2001 he got first prize in All Degree College Art Exhibition.

Now in 2022 he has been 2nd Awarded by 12th Algeria Miniature Art Festival 2022, Algeria. Alhamdulillah he is only one artist selected from Pakistan in 12th Algeria Miniature Art Festival 2022 as a Pakistani representative.

His work has been displayed permanently in some of the countries worldwide. List is below with years:

• 2022 Display at Andalusian Studies Center, Tlemcen, Algeria.
• 2020 Display at Abraj Al Mansi Hotel, Dubai.
• 2020 Display at St Margaret's Church, Halliwell, Manchester England.
• 2019 Display at CF Toronto Eaton Center, Canada.
• 2019 Display at Coca Cola Head Office, Dubai.
• 2019 Display at iTextile Head Office, Karachi.
• 2017 Display at History Museum Bursa Turkey.
• 2012 Display in Pakistan Embassy in Delhi India.
• 2007 Displayed Work (Golf Club, Dubai ).
• 2007 Display in Efroze Chemicals Industries Pvt. Ltd. Karachi.
• 2004 Displayed Work (London ).

Syed A. Irfan has truly revolutionized miniature art and has succeeded in creating the most authentic fusion of Miniature Art. I personally feel that artists like Syed A. Irfan are born in centuries and hope that the greatness of his personality which has now started to erupt on the surface paper is recorded in time as a golden chapter in itself.