By Krishna Purohit

Fazil Jamali’s award-winning art is a refreshing combination of traditional influences and raw talent. The South Asian artist infuses Neo-impressionistic techniques like Pointillism with his own minimalistic style of drawing. The result is a varied, and sometimes haunting, body of work tied to together by Mr. Jamali’s love of nature. The lush colors found in his travels are reflected in loose brushstrokes and saturated tones that capture the eye. EGO Magazine talks to the talented artist about his life and art.






EGO You began as a military man and an avid mountaineer. Tell us more about yourself?

Fazil Physical hardships or difficult circumstances do not faze me. Since childhood, I have never paid any heed to difficult situations. I prefer solitude and am generally quiet by nature. While serving in the Himalayas in the Northern Areas of Pakistan, along the Line of Control between the Pakistan and India border, I would go off alone on long walks through pine woods and birch trees.

Thus, nature has become a part of life, and I like to see myself existing in relation to nature. I realized that I wanted to be one with nature, as it gave me ultimate joy. I want to be part of the mosaic of nature. Even now, I must go out every day to be able to feel and see the plants and trees.

EGO Your art spans many genres and includes a variety of subject matter. How would you describe your perspective and techniques?

Fazil The perspective of all my landscape paintings is from the front, giving the viewer the feeling that he or she is about to step into it. They exude peace, calm and tranquility, which is in fact my theme. The viewer can also feel a sense of calmness and peace.

Painting is a therapy for me. Inactivity makes me restless, giving me a sense of wastefulness and an aimless life. I paint for my wellness and for the joy it gives me.

Painting portraits with pigments on cork and fresco tempera is very
exhilarating, relaxing, as well as exciting and fun. I do not have to
deliberate on the faces and features, which I draw randomly in a matter of minutes. Of course, the preparation of the surfaces takes a lot of time and effort.

EGO You did not begin as an artist. What ultimately drew you to painting?

Fazil My older brother had always been fond of drawing and painting. He came to the U.S. in the early 1970s and studied fine art. On one of his visits home, he brought me some art material. Seeing me not making use of them, the next day he set out the pastels and paper on an easel, put a flower pot in front of me and told me to paint it. I had finished painting the flower pot by the evening. My brother thought it was a good attempt. For the next month, I painted every single flower pot in my mother's garden.

Soon after, I was posted to the Northern Areas, 36 miles South of Gilgit. The mess was located in a beautiful valley that had a grand view of the Nanga Parbat, Haramosh and numerous other mountain peaks. I was inspired to paint them. I kept painting throughout my military career during my spare time.

EGO Your style makes heavy use of Pointillism and evokes the works of Georges-Pierre Seurat. What drew you to his style?

Fazil It was pure coincidence. Strange as though it may sound now, when I started painting I had never seen Seurat's work. The inspiration came later, when I saw his work.

EGO Are you influenced by any other artist(s) or movement(s)?

Fazil I admire [Vincent] Van Gogh, although my work is not influenced by him. Since I had not been to an art school and lacked formal training, I did not have exposure. Later, I realized that I had unconsciously developed my own style. In painting landscape, I did not know how to draw leaves, foliage, grass, etc. In an effort to paint innumerable leaves or blades of grass, for example, I resorted to the technique of using tiny dots and minute strokes.

EGO As a South Asian artist, do you believe that your work brings a unique perspective to the world of modern art?

Fazil Every work of art is basically a perception of the artist's view of the world, based on their background and experience. Even though present happenings strongly affect the content and expression of the painting, the mosaic of the artist's life and experiences can never be ignored in the outcome of the painting. Thus, my being part of the South Asian experience certainly affects my paintings in ways that I can't even fathom.

EGO You've already won multiple awards and presented your pieces at many prestigious galleries. What is your greatest ambition?

Fazil I would like people to have maximum exposure to my work. I want to reach out to people in small, remote towns in Pakistan and make them have exposure to the arts. I would like to set up small art centers in these remote areas.

EGO What are you working on currently? Do you have any upcoming projects?

Fazil Recently, I have been painting the landscape of Virginia, and have painted quite a few. I have been taking advantage of the fall colors.

To see Fazil Jamali’s work, visit his website at www.faziljamali.com.

Images Courtesy of Fazil Jamali.