Pakistani artist finds his ‘lost’ works being displayed in a TV serial

The Sindh government has formed a two-member committee after a Pakistani artist claimed that his paintings, which were supposedly lost/stolen seven years back, were displayed in a drama serial on television.

Artist Seffy Soomro said he immediately contacted the relevant authorities at the Sindh and Karachi Cultural Department, who had told him in 2017 that his works were either lost or stolen after an exhibition held at the Frere Hall here.

Soomro had made the paintings as part of a thesis for the University of Sindh’s Fine Arts Department, underscoring the personal and academic value they held, Soomro told PTI over the telephone on Tuesday and added, “I have proof of this.”

He came across his works while watching an ongoing popular drama serial starring two big actors, Hania Aamir and Fahad Mustafa. “Imagine my feelings when I see my paintings on the wall during a drama serial,” Soomro said.

“I had sent them for an exhibition in 2017 and despite reminders never got them back, and was eventually told they were lost. I was not even compensated for them,” Soomro, who belongs and resides in Ghotki in Sindh, said.

The artist also posted a message on Facebook narrating his ordeal: “Assalam o Alikum… I’m Seffy Soomro from Daharki, district Ghotki. I’m an artist. In 2017, I gave my paintings to Frere Hall for an exhibition. After the exhibition was over, I asked for them back. However, I was told that my paintings couldn’t be found.

“After a while, I gave up thinking perhaps they were, in fact, lost. After all, we’re all human,” he said in the message and added, it was clear now someone had misled him and sold the paintings.

The message received a lot of traction online, possibly prompting the government to take action.

The Sindh government’s Cultural Minister Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah said he had formed a two-member committee comprising the director general of culture, and the director general of antiquities to probe into the matter.

The two-member committee has been tasked with thoroughly investigating the matter and presenting a detailed report on the missing artwork, Geo News said in a report.

However, the company which produced the TV drama distanced itself from any wrongdoing.

“We want to clarify that the location used for the scene in question and the assets, including the paintings, were rented by us for the shootings,” a statement from the production company said.