For the first time in Pakistan’s history, celebrated miniature artist,Imran Qureshi was named “Artist of the Year 2013” as recommended by the Deutsche Bank Global Art Advisory Council on November 12th, 2012 at an exclusive gala dinner and ceremony held in Berlin.

Stefan Krause, member of the management board and chair of Deutsche Bank’s Global Art Advisory Committee officially announced Pakistani artist Imran Qureshi as Deutsche Bank’s “Artist of the Year” 2013 on the recommendation of the Bank’s Global Art Advisory Council.

Indeed with a focus on young art, like its corporate collection,

Deutsche Bank’s “Artist of the Year”, is committed to the present. The

aim is to acquaint a wide public with new and exciting artistic

positions. Based on a recommendation by Deutsche Bank’s Global Art

Advisory Council, which includes internationally renowned curators

Okwui Enwezor, Hou Hanru, Udo Kittelmann, and Victoria Noorthoorn, the

bank honors an auspicious artist who addresses social issues in an

individual way and has created an outstanding oeuvre that concentrates

on the two focal points of the Deutsche Bank Collection: works on

paper and photography. Following Wangechi Mutu (2010), Yto Barrada

(2011) and Roman Ondák (2012), Imran Qureshi is the fourth recipient

and winner of the Deutsche Bank “Artist of the Year” (2013).

As an artist the Deutsche Bank Global Art Advisory Council chose Imran

Qureshi as one of the most important figures on Pakistan’s art scene

today.

Trained in miniature painting, the 1972-born artist works from

the motifs, symbolism and ornaments of the Moghul tradition that

flourished in the 16th and 17th centuries in the north of the Indian

subcontinent. Qureshi utilizes old Islamic forms of art and expands

them to become contemporary means of expression.

In unique ways, he combines traditional motifs and techniques with conceptual thought and contemporary abstract painting. Qureshi includes his own observations on the reality of today’s Pakistan into his work while reflecting on

the fact that everyday violence is not only a problem in his native country, but in every religion, culture, and society worldwide. Imran Qureshi’s art delves into the constant alternation between violence and hope, destruction and creation, and calls for optimism and peaceful resistance against violence and intolerance in difficult times.