Grosvenor Gallery is pleased to announce the forthcoming exhibition of the etchings of Abdur Rahman Chughtai (1894-1975), one of the most acclaimed and revered South Asian artists of the 20th century. The preview is on Tuesday 28th October, from 6.00-8.00pm.
Although primarily known for his watercolours, Chughtai was an extremely talented printmaker, who developed his skills in London in the mid-1930s, studying under Paul Drury and Bill Robbins at the Central School of Art and Design.
Chughtai returned to Lahore soon after the end of November 1936 with a large stock of materials, and upon returning to Pakistan established his own press. Using the knowledge acquired in London he generated an extensive output of etchings, each exquisitely detailed in their monochromatic depictions, and rapidly established a reputation as a highly skilled printmaker.
Chughtai's works typically portray prominent figures from Hindu and Islamic history as well as sentimental and poetic scenes in which the characters typically personify places and moods. During his career he developed a style that combined the precise nature of Mughal and Persian miniatures with the delicacy of Japanese ink paintings, which characterised both his paintings and his etchings.
Although there are no formal records it is thought that Chughtai created around 250-300 etchings, covering a huge variety of subjects. Very few editions are numbered, however due to the restrictions of the technique, it is thought that a maximum of 50 prints per edition were created at any one time.
This will be the first time a large collection of that artist's etchings have been shown in London, and we hope the exhibition will shed light on an often overlooked, but incredibly rich body of work by the artist.
