Shakir Ali, Modern Artist

Shakir Ali (1914–1975) was an influential modern Pakistani artist and art teacher. He was the principal of the National College of Arts in Lahore. He joined Mayo School of Art as Lecturer in Art in 1954 and after the upgrading of Mayo School as National College of Arts in 1958, he became its first Pakistani principal in 1962. Widely known to have inspired cubism among the artists of Lahore, he had a huge following of artists in Pakistan, most of whom were his students including Jamil Naqsh, Bashir Mirza, Ahmed Parvez and others. Shakir Ali has spent 7 years in Bombay and 5 in London to learn classic and modern art. He came back to Pakistan in 1952.