Ali Hammad

Ali Hammad, the second child of his parents, was born in 1985 at Quetta, Pakistan. He was reared in a happy and auspicious circumstance wherein his father (Professor of English) constantly passed on to him not only love for literature and art, but also a strong Keatsian sense of beauty and truth as mutually intertwined, that pulsates in art enabling one to revel in gusto enjoying light and shade simultaneously. Thus Ali remained a votary of the principle that “a painter should only think brush in hand”.  With the passage of time, Ali’s appetite for drawing and painting whetted further. He ultimately was able to win a scholarship for the renowned National College of Arts, Lahore. He completed his graduation brilliantly in four years graced with meritorious ‘honor’. In 2010, he was commissioned to do the portrait of late Sheikh Zayed under the patronage of Sheikh Sultan Bin Zayed. He has also been commissioned to do family portraits from time to time. Articles about his artworks were published every time the exhibitions were held. Quite recently an article by the name “Spirit of Life” in the news paper The Dawn, of May 11, 2021 was printed when the group exhibition, “Resurgence” was held at Ejaz Gallery, Lahore.

Ali from his childhood developed a penchant towards Realism, Baroque and Academic Art. His subject matter includes still-life, portrait and figure. Flesh of human figure and the ‘mysterious quiet’ around the still life arrangement has always been fascinating to him. Although his art practice at college mainly focused towards modern art, Ali Hammad developed great interest for realism which went diametrically opposite to the then existing vogue in art. It was a challenging journey he recalls - ‘sailing up the creek without the paddle!’ Having put relentless effort and zeal into his work, he asserted himself and emerged as an exceptional painter. He graduated in 2006, ‘magna-cum-laude’ and started his real journey in art. To explore the possibilities of paint, make beautiful brushstrokes, learn different tactile qualities, above all capture the breath and the spirit in a painting, remained his forte.

He works now as an artist in United Arab Emirates, where teaching and studio practice keep him busy. He has displayed in many national and international shows. The viewers always seek for his ‘brightly lit’ still-lifes as well as his breathtaking figurative works.

In 2021, Ali won the 3rd place award and an honorable mention in the figurative category of the 15th International ARC Salon competition. The winning artwork was auctioned in the groundbreaking first ever online auction for contemporary realism at Sotheby's and successfully sold.

* This statement has been provided directly by the artist in association to their 16^th International ARC Salon entries. This content has not been edited for typos or grammatical errors and has not been vetted for accuracy.