Lala Rukh (activist)

This article is about the Pakistani artist and activist. For other uses of similar names, see Lala Rukh (activist) (disambiguation).

Lala Rukh
Born	29 June 1948 Lahore, Pakistan
Died	7 July 2017 Lahore, Pakistan
Occupation(s)	Artist and Women's rights activist

About

Lala Rukh, a Pakistani artist, educator, and activist (1948 – 2017), embraced a nonlinear lifestyle that blended various commitments and timeframes. Her artwork and disciplined approach gained global recognition. Alongside her art, she was known for mentoring artists, co-founding the Women's Action Forum in 1981, and advocating for women and minorities' rights for almost fifty years. She also contributed to printing, teaching, and archiving in Pakistan and South Asia while supporting classical arts and music. Her diverse interests, combined with her lifelong passion for the sea, influenced her drawings, which explored the interplay between form, meaning, and representation with a political undertone. Overall, she emerged as a leading advocate of minimalism and abstraction in Pakistan through her artistic and educational endeavors.

Early life and education

Lala Rukh was born in Lahore, Pakistan in 1948 to Syeda Khan and Hayat Ahmed Khan. Her parents were deeply interested in art, poetry, history, philosophy, and culture. Her mother had a Master's degree in Punjabi Sufi Poetry and her father, besides being a businessman, was a prominent cultural figure in Lahore, supporting art and classical music. Despite coming from a religious background, her father had a passion for music and art, which led him to learn sculpture and painting at the Mayo School of Art and the Lahore Museum. He also enjoyed mountain climbing and swimming, so summers were spent in the mountains where Lala Rukh and her sisters enjoyed adventures like hiking, horse riding, and swimming in icy rivers.

Her father encouraged his daughters to pursue music, calligraphy, art, and poetry. The family home was often visited by music maestros, intellectuals, and poets, sparking conversations about history, philosophy, and art. Lala Rukh was particularly sensitive, showing compassion for the weak and poor from a young age. She would often give away her belongings to those in need and even had a pet monkey that she cared for.

She had a passion for reading and drawing from an early age. She began taking drawing classes with artist Anna Molka and later pursued a Bachelor's degree at Lahore College and a Master's degree at Punjab University. In 1977, she went to the University of Chicago for another Master's degree. Here, she was exposed to various world views such as socialism, American minimalism, feminism, and the civil rights movement. She also experienced the vibrant blues and jazz music scene in Chicago, hearing performances by BB King and Ella Fitzgerald. Lala Rukh delved into these new ideas and movements through her avid reading and research.

Rukh never married and adopted her sister’s daughter Mariam. Rukh was diagnosed with cancer in June 2017 and died on 7 July 2017 (69 years age).

All Pakistan Music Conference

In 1958, Lala's father, Hayat Ahmad Khan, established the All Pakistan Music Conference with the aim of revitalizing Hindustani Classical Music in Pakistan and providing a dedicated platform for classical musicians. This initiative came at a time when the esteemed art form was waning in the country, necessitating significant support for musicians. Lala Rukh, along with her sisters, served as volunteers for this newly formed organization. Presently, the All Pakistan Music Conference continues to stand as Pakistan's foremost platform for showcasing classical, semi-classical, and folk music.

Pedagogy

Lala Rukh began her career as an educator at the Lahore American School (1971-1974). After returning from Chicago, she became part of the art faculty at the University of the Punjab(1978-1982). Until her retirement in 2012, she excelled as a professor at the National College of Arts (Lahore), earning the "Best Teacher Award 2000" from the University Grants Commission, in Islamabad. She also played a key role in designing and directing the MA (Hons) Visual Art program at NCA, where she served as a director till 2008. Lala Rukh lectured on post-colonial art and art's relationship with politics, produced literature for her organizations, and authored a Cultural Heritage Resource Kit with UNESCO and the GETTY Foundation.

Conservation

Lala Rukh has worked immensely to preserve the history and heritage of her land. She collaborated with UNESCO and the Getty Museum to document historical sites through photography and wrote a manual on the ancient fresco painting technique called 'Naqqashi.' She conducted workshops on conservation, focusing on understanding materials and design functionality. These workshops included coloring pages featuring motifs from fresco patterns found on historical buildings.

In addition to her conservation work, Lala Rukh also dedicated herself to preserving the original texts of Punjabi folk songs. Putting her conservation knowledge into practice, she personally restored a hundred-year-old haveli (traditional mansion) in Old Lahore, located about 20 miles from the Wagah border.

Art Work

Lala Rukh's art work has minimalist and meditative expressions. Her early drawings in the 1970s and 80s, characterized by minimal conte crayon lines, puzzled critics and artists more accustomed to European modernism's oil-on-canvas approach. Her "River in an Ocean" series from the early 1990s further distanced her from the mainstream with meticulously rendered, almost imperceptible waves on a dark surface. These drawings, depicting water with consistent tonality extending beyond the paper's edges, carry an air of mystery, making Lala Rukh's artistic intentions and underlying messages elusive and puzzling.

In her 1997 "Mirror Image" series, which were acquired by Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City in January, 2020, she referenced India's demolition of the Babri Masjid and Pakistan's subsequent retaliation, symbolized by the mirror motif reflecting both sides' actions. The passing of her mother in the same year added depth to this series. Editions of her work, "Rupak, 2016" (the digital animation) now belong in Tate Modern (London), Samdani Art Foundation (Bangladesh), Art Jameel Collection (Dubai) and The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York City). More recently, her work, including "Hieroglyphics: Roshnion Ka Shehr (City of Lights)," has been described as capturing the psychic landscape. Depicting dashes and dots of light resembling Karachi's illuminated shoreline at night, these artworks evoke a sense of communication from the artist's inner self.

Today, Lala Rukh is renowned for her delicate and profound artwork, often inspired by the sea and classical music. Her work is exhibited globally and is housed in prestigious institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum in New York and the Tate Modern in London. In 2017, Rukh's works were exhibited in Kassel, Germany in contemporary art exhibition documenta 14. Her works have also been exhibited in China, Athens Conservatoire, Greece in 2017, at Kunsthaus Centre D’Art Pasquart, Switzerland in 2017, at Centre Pompidou, France in 2018, at Punta della Dogana, Venice in 2019 and in three cities of England. In addition to her artistic achievements, she is celebrated for her activism and mentorship of budding artists in Lahore, leaving a lasting impact on countless individuals with her compassion and resilience. She was also the founder of All Pakistan Music Conference (1959), Vasl artists trust (2000), and Grey Noise gallery.

Activism

Lala Rukh, a pioneering figure in social and political reform, co-founded several influential organizations in Pakistan, including the Women’s Action Forum (WAF). in 1981, Simorgh, Women’s Resource and Publication Centre in 1985, and Vasl artists trust (2000). She took part in the women’s protest against martial law of Dictator Ziaul Haq and for her political activities, she was also sent to jail at that time. She was against the implementation of the Hudood Ordinance penal code considering it as discriminatory against women. Again during the Musharaf's dictatorship, when Emergency 2007 was imposed, she got arrested with other 50 WAF members.

Rukh as active member of WAF, used her art to highlight community, women’s rights and issues. During the military reign in the face of censorship on newsletters and protest material, Rukh learned screen printing and began producing, designing and printing many of the WAF’s posters that were demanding freedom and equal rights for women. Her collection of feminist art "Crimes Against Women" originates from this group of posters.

During her extensive travels throughout Southeast Asia in the early 1980s, Lala Rukh formed deep connections with feminists from neighboring countries. Recognizing the common challenges they faced, she orchestrated the groundbreaking 'In our Own Backyard' workshop on 10^th December 1987. This transformative initiative, held in Lala Rukh’s own backyard, brought together feminists from Sri Lanka, India, and Bangladesh. The workshop lasted 24 days and included friends like the Indian feminist Urvashi Batalia. During this time she imparted her knowledge of screen printing, empowering women to create and disseminate their own materials despite censorship obstacles. The manual for the workshop was displayed in a couple of big art events, including Documenta 14 in 2017 (the year of Lala Rukh’s passing away, for the world to see), and ‘Lala Rukh In The Round’ at the Sharjah Biennale 2024.

She was also part of the "Pakistan-India Peoples' Forum for Peace and Democracy (PIPFPD)".

Lala Rukh’s commitment extended beyond activism to environmental stewardship. She took a proactive role in preserving the integrity of Liberty Park, forming a dedicated women’s park committee. This committee, comprising five members, worked tirelessly to ensure the park remained non-commercial, green, and clean. Their efforts included advocating for safe and hygienic facilities, particularly for women, and addressing concerns such as tree preservation and drainage issues. Additionally, Lala Rukh personally supported young girls commuting to university who traversed the park in the early mornings, exemplifying her dedication to community welfare.

Career

        Apr 2024         At The Edge of Land, Jameel Arts Centre, Dubai

       Feb 2024         Lala Rukh in The Round, Sharjah Biennale

      Feb 2024         Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

      Jan 2024         Connecting Dots Series I, Shakir Ali Museum, Lahore

Aug 2023         In Between the Notes, Experimenter Gallery, Ballygunge Place, Kolkata, India

Feb 2023         Bonna (Flood), Dhaka Art Summit, National Art Gallery, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Curator: Dianna Campbell

Jan 2023        Notations on Time, Ishara Art Foundation, Dubai, UAE Curators: Sandhini Poddar and Sabih Ahmed

Oct 2022-        HAZE - Contemporary Art From South Asia, Fondazione Elpis, Italy

                  Mar 2023

Jul 2021          PAN-AUSTRO-NESIAN ARTS FESTIVAL, Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

May 2021        Syncopes, Mimosa House, London, UK

Jan 2020          Line, beats and shadows, Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, Saket, Delhi, India Curator: Roobina Karode

Mar 2019        Luogo e Segni, Punta della, Dogana, Venice, Italy Curators: Martin Bethenod and Mouna Mekouar

Nov 2018        Artist’s Rooms: Lala Rukh, Jameel Arts Centre, Dubai, UAE

Oct 2018        Peindre La Nuit, Centre Pompidou - Metz, Metz, France Curator: Jean-Marie Gallais

Mar 2018        Invitation to Action, Mubarak Haveli, Lahore Biennale 01, Lahore Pakistan

Curator: Mariah Lookman

Feb 2018        Planetary Planning, Dhaka Art Summit, National Art Gallery, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Curator: Devika Singh

Nov 2017         Everything we do is music, Drawing Room, London, UK Curator: Shanay Jhaveri

May 2017        Solo- Sagar, Grey Noise, Dubai, UAE

Apr 2017         Rupak, Documenta 14, Athens, Greece/ Kassel, Germany

Artistic director: Adam Szymczyk et. al with Curatorial Advisor: Natasha Ginwala

Oct 2017         Subh-e-Umeed, Witness: Karachi Biennale 2017, Karachi, Pakistan

Curator: Amin Gulgee

Sept 2016       For an Image, Faster Than Light, Yinchuan Biennale, Museum of Contemporary Art, Yinchuan, China

Curator: Bose Krishnamachari

Jan 2016         But even if I cannot see the sun, Grey Noise Gallery, Dubai, UAE

Mar 2015       The past, the present, the possible, Biennial 12, Sharjah, UAE Curator: Eungie Joo with Associate curator Ryan Inouye

Jan 2015         Approaching Abstraction, Jhaveri Contemporary, Mumbai, India

Oct 2014         The Importance of Staying Quiet, Yallay Gallery, Hongkong

Dec 2013         In Order to Join, Museum Abteiberg, Mönchengladbach, Germany Curators: Susanne Titz and Swapnaa Tamhane

Jan 2013        Intimacy, Koel Gallery, Karachi, Pakistan. Curator: Maha Malik

Feb 2012         The Women's Perspective, Nomad Gallery, Islamabad, Pakistan in collaboration with Women’s Action Forum (WAF)

Feb 2012          Mein - the artist and the self, Koel Gallery, Karachi, Pakistan Curators: Noorjehan Bilgrami and Amean J

Nov 2011          Scripted Across the Indian Ocean, Green Cardamom, London, UK. Curator: Mariah Lookman

Mar 2011        Non-Aligned, Barefoot Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka

                             Curator: Mariah Lookman

Jan 2011          India Art Summit, New Delhi, India

Feb 2011          Imag(in)ing Cities’, A South-South dialogue, Amin Gulgee Gallery, Karachi, Pakistan, in collaboration with

SPARCK (Space for PanAfrican Research Creation and Knowledge)

Curators: Dominique Malaquais, Kadiaton Diallo, Amin Gulgee

Oct 2010          Solo - Drawings 2010, Koel Gallery, Karachi, Pakistan

In collaboration with Grey Noise Gallery, Dubai, UAE

Jan 2010           New Art from Pakistan, Thomas Erben Gallery, New York, USA

Dec 2009          Good Looking, vision and society in contemporary art, Grey Noise Gallery, Lahore, Pakistan

Curator: Atteqa Ali

Oct 2008         'Let's Talk' Five Pakistani artists in dialogue, The Jam Jar, Dubai, UAE In collaboration with Grey Noise Gallery

Apr 2008         26.04.08, Grey Noise Gallery launch, Alhamra Art Gallery, Lahore, Pakistan

Nov 2007        Moving Ahead, inaugural exhibition, National Art Gallery, Islamabad, Pakistan

Mar 2007        Beyond Landscape, Alhamra Gallery, Lahore, Pakistan Curator: Atteqa Ali

Apr 2006         Artists’ Voices: Body, Amin Gulgee Gallery, Karachi, Pakistan Curators: Amin Gulgee and Sheherbano Hussain

Mar 2006        Artists’ Voices: Calligraphy, Amin Gulgee Gallery, Karachi, Pakistan

Curators: Amin Gulgee and Sheherbano Hussain

Aug 2005       One 2 One, 58 years, 58 Artists, Alhamra Art Gallery, Lahore, Pakistan

Feb 2005     Beyond Borders: Art of Pakistan, National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai, India, Pakistan

Curators: Doshi, Saryu and Quddus Mirza

Nov 2004       Art from Pakistan, House of Commons, London, UK

Jul 2004         Solo - Works: 1980 - 2004, VM Art Gallery, ZVMG Rangoonwala Centre, Karachi, Pakistan

Apr 2004         Solo - Works: 1980 - 2003, Zahoor-ul-Akhlaque Gallery, National College of Arts, Lahore, Pakistan

Dec 2003         Group show, Nairang Gallery, Lahore, Pakistan

Apr 2002         National Art Exhibition, Artist’s Association of Pakistan, Alhamra Art Gallery, Lahore, Pakistan

Mar 2002        Let Peace Prevail, exhibition of works by women Artists, VM Art Gallery, ZVMG Rangoonwala Centre, Karachi, Pakistan

Jan 2001         Vasl International Artists’ Workshop, Gadani, Balochistan, Pakistan Founder member / organiser / participating artist

Open day: Gadani, Balochistan, Pakistan Exhibition: Gulgee Museum, Karachi. Pakistan

Apr   2000        Pakistan: Another Vision, Brunei Gallery, SOAS, London, UK June - Aug: Huddersfield Art Gallery, Huddersfield, UK

Aug - Sept: Oldham Art Gallery, Oldham, UK

Sept - Nov: Victoria Art Gallery/Hotbath Gallery, Bath, UK

Apr 2000         Beginning and End of an Era, Ejaz Art Gallery, Lahore, Pakistan

Mar 2000        National Millennium Exhibition, Artist Association of Pakistan, Alhamra Art Gallery, Lahore, Pakistan

May 1999       Scope VII, Gallery NCA (Zahoor-ul-Akhlaque Gallery), National College of Arts, Lahore, Pakistan

Nov 1997        Open Wounds, Eicher Gallery, Delhi, India (with Samina Mansuri)

Jan 1997          On the internet: The Book of Lies, a mobile museum of Actual Art

https://www.floatingmuseum.org/

Oct 1996         The Book of Lies: Steirischer Herbst Festival, Graz, Austria

Viewed Collections: Rare Book Room, New York Public Library, USA

Grunwald Center for Graphic Arts at the Armand Hammer Museum, UCLA, LA, California, USA

LA County Museum of Art, LA, California, USA Sackner Collection, Florida, USA

Aug 1996        National Exhibition of Paintings, Pakistan Golden Jubilee Celebration,

                       Alhamra, Lahore, Pakistan

Jan 1996        Pakistani Painters, 7th SAARC Festival, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India                                                                   Oct 1995                         Pakistani Painters, Pakistan Festival (by Export Promotion Bureau)

Birmingham Cultural Complex, Birmingham, UK

Aug 1995        Women Painters, Conference of Muslim Women Parliamentarians, Islamabad, Pakistan

Jan 1995           An Intelligent Rebellion, Women Artists of Pakistan, UNESCO headquarters, Paris, France

Jan 1995           An Intelligent Rebellion, Leicester city Art Gallery, UK

Apr 95             Scope VI, Gallery NCA (Zahoor-ul-Akhlaque Gallery), National College of Arts, Lahore, Pakistan

1994/95           The Book of Lies, a mobile museum of International Artists, Los Angeles, USA

Oct 1994           An Intelligent Rebellion: Women Artists of Pakistan’, Cartwright Hall, Bradford, UK

Apr 1994         7 Artists on violence, Goethe Institute, Karachi, Pakistan

Feb 1994          A Selection of Contemporary Paintings from Pakistan, Pacific Asia Museum, Pasadena, California, USA

Feb 1994         National Exhibition, Pakistan National Council of the Arts, Islamabad Pakistan

Apr 1993         Artist's camp and exhibition on the theme of violence, Goethe Institute, Lahore, Pakistan

Feb 1993        Scope V, Gallery NCA (Zahoor-ul-Akhlaque Gallery), National College of Arts, Lahore, Pakistan

Mar 1993        Printmakers from NCA, American Centre, Lahore, Pakistan

Jul 1981       Solo - Drawings, Galerie Hildebrand, Klagenfurt, Austria