She drifted in like a Dream …her megawatt smile unveiled, instantly filling the room with warmth and grace. She crossed the hallway in a resplendent turquoise Rizwan Beyg with plumes of fresh flowers – the smell of more cut flowers and her unique Dior signature suffusing the room . Tabinda Chinoy was immediately at home in this most civilized of restaurants in Manhattan’s Upper East Side – the famed Caravaggio. As we sipped on the lavender tea with hibiscus petals, I marveled at the international painter and sculptor Tabinda has become, making a name for herself in the rarified galleries of NY, London, Dubai and of course her beloved Islamabad. I’ve known Tabinda over the years as an elegant , sophisticated, socially prominent woman holding court in the international capitals of the world . Today was different, we were here to talk about art- how it has defined her and where it was all leading.
Year 2023
Tabinda’s formative years were spent in art destinations like Rome where her father an UN official, where he was posted. How and when did the passion ignite? Tabinda Chinoy is a graduate of the Arts Council in Karachi and honed her craft at London’s prestigious Slade School of Fine Arts. Over stuffed zucchini blossoms, she expanded on her own personal blossoming. For example, how did Ali Imam influence her ? This acclaimed artist and historian encouraged her vibrant use of color and mastery of texture.
Sharing fresh oysters with shallot- raspberry vinaigrette and salt crusted wild branzino, she described her passion. It focuses primarily on women with interspersed symbols of birds and fish- to express the full freedom that women could aspire to . And her books? “The Dreamer Awakes” by the celebrated Beo Zafar. Beo’s poems matched the sensibilities of her paintings and a book was born. And her recent “Between Dreams and Reality” by Marjorie Husain published by the Foundation of Museum and Modern Art, Karachi. A literary and photographic retrospective of life, painting and sculpture. She pointed out that the title refers to the space where aspirations and vicissitudes of life intersect.
Tabinda was influenced by the greats like Sadequain, Chughtai and Jamil Naqsh. But her work is starkly original. She paints mostly in acrylic because it affords her a greater freedom than mere oil or water. Her use of vibrant hues and splashes of color combined with her stylized context of figures is her leit motif and a reflection of her internal moods. Her art continues to grace the Permanent Collection of the Pakistan National Council of Arts in Islamabad.
A Torta di Castagne ended the meal and time to discuss her recent internationally acclaimed Solo exhibition Through the Veil of Dreams in Islamabad . It was met with critical applause and her signature use of colors and stylization marked her artistic maturity. Tabinda’s acceptance of life, people and places is well exemplified by her “Live and let Live “ a painting juxtaposing church, mosque, synagogue and mandir in the same canvas, and “One with the Fish” is a notion of unchecked freedom. I brought up her posters covering the Sind area of disfigured women shedding light on man’s cruelty and woman’s subservience. She pointed out that this was her way of bringing attention to those in need . What about her other charitable work? Tabinda, at various times, has been a Committee Member of the Layton Ramatullah Benevolent Trust, a charity for the underserved; Chairperson of Women’s Rights and Responsibilities at the All-Pakistan Women’s Association; and has taught Art History at the Aga Khan University in Karachi.
I couldn’t help but marvel at this international sophisticate with an unerring sense of style and elegance which she has so well incorporated in her paintings and sculptures. What next ? Your solo sculpture exhibition? She works both in bronze and terra cotta fashioning images from her own unique creative energy . She hesitated but acknowledged that such an event was long overdue. My response: The world , especially the young , will always look for inspiration from someone like you – exuberant, vivacious and always ahead of the curve beating your own personal drum wherever you go.
Jaswant Lalwani is a global real estate advisor and lifestyle consultant in New York City. He is also an avid writer and globetrotter. To read more of his work visit www.jlalwani.com
