It was in 1976 that he took on art as a profession. Even though this was his career, his contribution to the world did not stop there. At the age of 6, he was deemed terminally ill as both his kidneys were failing. The doctors claimed that he wouldn’t survive for more than three months. At the end of the three-month period, he had completely recovered. To this day he believes that it was nature who returned his body back to health and so he has made it his mission to give back to nature through charities all across the world. In doing so, and through being an advocate for his fellow Pakistanis, not only through his art but also his actions, he has come to be a seen as a crusader in his nation. Over 70% of what he earns every year, he has given back to the people and to nature, to the homeless, to orphans and many more. His art not only depicts the struggles of his fellow Pakistanis, but furthermore works as a means of supporting them and uplifting them (Academy for Cultural Diplomacy).

Engineer’s work in the social space often goes undocumented as per his wishes. His artistic contribution, however, has been recognised worldwide starting with his most famous series which were detailed depictions of the partition on canvas (Fig 1) (Fig 2). His dedication for his country is unlike any other and he has inspired several members of the younger generation to follow in his footsteps in the space of patriotism. In 1994 he walked 4000 kilometers from Karachi to Peshawar stopping at every village along the way so that he could get to know the people he often represented abroad and has always held close to his heart (The News). His works have been exhibited extensively in Pakistan as well as abroad. He is known to encourage creative expression in Pakistan. He even supported a young director Akbar Ahmed looking to create a film called Jinnah which revolved around controversial topics in a politically charged post-partition climate. Ahmed credits Engineer for keeping him safe and for making the film a reality (Ahmed). 

Engineer has produced over 3000 paintings, more than 1500 drawings, and 1000 calligraphies. Over 700,000 of his prints are housed in private collections in over 60 different countries. His work ranges from realism, abstract, human, and animal figure, to  calligraphies, philosophical work and much more (the Son of Pakistan). He has travelled all over the world with a mission in mind to create a more positive image of Pakistan. Through his art he wanted to show people that not all Pakistanis are extremists (Ahmed). He says “Whenever I show my work in Europe or the United States , it changes the mind of people when they look at it. For a moment they forget I am from Pakistan” (Ahmed). He is a strong believer in Sufi teachings which add to his helpful nature. He is an honorary citizen of Houston, Texas and has won many international awards including the National Endowment of the Arts Award in the United States in 1988. Like his art, he simply wants to spread his message of love, love for people and for nature (the Son of Pakistan).

During a talk at the Academy of Cultural Diplomacy Engineer said, “I am the student of nature” (10:30-10:35). Following his childhood incident with kidney failure, he made it his mission in life to repay the debt by always helping other people. Along with this came the realisation that there is no teacher as perfect as nature and hence he will always remain a student learning from perfection of how to create art in its most excellent form (Academy of Cultural Diplomacy). In his effort to mimic the precision of nature his works are always filled with fine detail. In his partition series he gave each individual in the crowd fine details that allowed a viewer to connect with them as normal people who each had a life, a story (Clarke). This also allowed his work to expand itself into reality. It wasn’t limited to a canvas because it held the lives of so many different individuals or lands or histories. 

Jimmy Engineer’s Zoroastrian heritage invokes a certain philosophy or as they call it Zarathustra. In it the Prophet says one must remember three phrases- Good Words. Good Thoughts. Good Deeds. According to his friend Ahmed, this philosophy of his comes through strongly in his paintings. In 2009 during an exhibition of his at Shangri La Art Gallery, he said the aim of his work was to portray peace and harmony by placing realistic paintings of different architectural wonders from across the world together in a show of solidarity. His main step towards depicting his philosophy was by painting Indian architecture which being a Pakistani is a very important show of respect for a country that is at odds with his own (LCA Houston). This shows that his work is about more than aesthetics, rather he is trying to communicate a message of acceptance and love and peace amongst all people. In addition to this he has created work that juxtapose different religious symbols together furthering this message that humanity is a single entity. His work is an attempt to raise a hand in friendship by creating the harmony he wishes to see in the world on his canvas (LCA Houston). 

A lot of his work features the bountiful language and culture of the people of Pakistan. His work often tries to capture the chaotic diversity of a country like Pakistan that was born out of so much violence and yet has so much beauty and warmth to it which he believes many people don’t recognise (The News). His work comes from a space of deep understanding of the stories buried in the soil of his country and the hearts of his people. He says there is constant battle between good and evil and of course additionally nature takes its toll (Sarwar). His four spaces of work as a human rights activist, peace activist, social worker and artist produce the four parts of his personality- aggression, pacifism, compassion, and idealism (Sarwar). These four principles in his life drive him towards creating work that brings people together and shows them the importance of remembering that above all else, regardless of religion and faith, we are human.

Just like the title of the work suggests, this painting encompasses a 13ft long canvas that tells the story of Partition. The background of the painting is dotted with smoke coming from the fires started due as one religion warred with the other, burning down homes and even setting a train carrying refugees across the border on fire. There are caravans of people in the foreground moving their whole lives from one country to another. Even though the story behind the artwork is dark, Engineer has used bright colours on the canvas maintaining a hopeful quality and echoing the title as a painting made in honour of people rather than just showing the violence and pain that marked this period. The most symbolic of the all the elements to me is the tall, green tree standing proudly in the middle. It looks like a testament to the strength of the Pakistani people who kept going even through all the hardship. 

Engineer has made each individual in the painting unique. He has paid special attention to the little details, the lines of muscle son the men’s backs, the unique clothing of each woman in the scene, the different carts that the people are using to move their belongings. Each little detail lends to the idea that each of these individuals have their own story and yet are facing this horror together, supporting one another. The scale of the work itself shows the weight and importance of the struggle and how even though Engineer has managed to capture this moment in time, within it there are thousands of stories that are untold and cries for help that have gone unheard in this war of religion. It is a reminder of what can be lost and a reminder to value people. If one looks closely at the painting, we can see that these are the Pakistani people as he has included the flag f Pakistan being held by one of the members of this procession. We also see individuals helping each other get up and keep going, holding hands for comfort, having a protective arm wrapped over children. This lends to Engineer’s strong belief in loving and supporting one’s countrymen.

Engineer’s style of painting has both elements of realism and a more graphic quality achieved using the brighter colours and harder outlines as well as the blending in the tree. The line of people extends for miles towards the back of the painting, conveying the sheer number of people that were displaced by this event. This also gives the viewer perspective, conveying the depth of image and adding dimension to it. Engineer has added elements of the country and landscape he loves, showing the tall crass and clear skies, only marred by the smoke in some places. Engineer made the choice of giving each individual in this image a story allowing for deeper connection with his people which is the ultimate goal of his work. 

Figure 2. Jimmy Engineer, Struggle for independence 1947, 1978, oil on canvas, 10ft x 4ft 6in.  Image courtesy of Jimmy Engineer and Cub Magazine, http://cubmagazine.co.uk/2018/06/refugees-and-dehuminisation-the-art-of-jimmy-engineer/   Accessed November 30, 2020.

Figure 3. Jimmy Engineer, Poet Allama Iqbal's "Javid Namah," 1982, oil on board, 15ft x 10ft.  Image courtesy of Jimmy Engineer, https://www.facebook.com/artist.jimmyengineer/photos/a.407330499354841/3431205650300629 Accessed  November 30, 2020.

Figure 4. Jimmy Engineer, Untitled, 2004, oil on canvas, 40 in x 68 in.  Image courtesy of Jimmy Engineer and Epic Art Gallery, https://www.epicartgallery.pk/j-1000-1-10-3-5/ Accessed November 30, 2020.

Figure 5. Jimmy Engineer, International Architectural Composition, 2006, oil on canvas, 36 in x 72 in.  Image courtesy of Jimmy Engineer and National Art Gallery, Beijing, https://www.facebook.com/artist.jimmyengineer/photos/2465341140220423 Accessed November 30, 2020.

Figure 6. Jimmy Engineer, Home Bound, 1999, oil on canvas, 5 ft x 3 ft.  Image courtesy of Jimmy Engineer https://www.facebook.com/artist.jimmyengineer/photos/a.407330499354841/703777743043447 Accessed November 30, 2020.

Figure 7. Jimmy Engineer, Running Horse, 1995, oil on canvas, 3ft x 2ft.  Image courtesy of Jimmy Engineer, https://www.facebook.com/artist.jimmyengineer/photos/a.407330499354841/641669739254248 Accessed November 30, 2020.

Akbar Ahmed. “Jimmy Engineer: ‘The Servant of Pakistan.’” Parsi Khabar, 2018, parsikhabar.net/art/jimmy-engineer-the-servant-of-pakistan/18887/. Accessed 6 Dec. 2020.

Clarke, Samuel. “Refugees and Dehuminisation: The Art of Jimmy Engineer.” CUB Magazine, 23 June 2018, cubmagazine.co.uk/2018/06/refugees-and-dehuminisation-the-art-of-jimmy-engineer/. Accessed 6 Dec. 2020.

“Jimmy Engineer - An Artist, a Humanitarian from Pakistan.” Www.Jimmyengineer.com, 2013, www.jimmyengineer.com/profile.html. Accessed 6 Dec. 2020.

LCA Houston. “Art Exhibition | Jimmy Engineer.” LCAHouston, 24 Feb. 2009, lcahouston.com/2009/02/art-exhibition-jimmy-engineer/. Accessed 6 Dec. 2020.

Sarwar, Beena. “Jimmy Engineer: The Artist, His Inner Voice, the Lion Story and a Dream.” Journeys to Democracy, 18 May 2015, beenasarwar.com/2015/05/18/jimmy-engineer-the-artist-his-inner-voice-the-lion-story-and-a-dream/. Accessed 6 Dec. 2020.

The News. “Jimmy Engineer Asks Elite to Contribute to Society.” Www.Thenews.com.Pk, 2019, www.thenews.com.pk/print/480794-jimmy-engineer-asks-elite-to-contribute-to-society. Accessed 6 Dec. 2020.

“The Son of Pakistan.” Www.Jimmyengineer.com, 2013, www.jimmyengineer.com/. Accessed 6 Dec. 2020.

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