Shaheen Sultan Dhanji’s art
Bordering between abstract and socio-political, Shaheen Sultan Dhanji’s photography, painting and writings are at once striking to readership. Her art transforms the humble into amazing objects of desire.
Â
 Sultan’s large scale of black and white photographs are at once contemporary, mingled with socio-political messages. Themes of war, poverty, women and sanitation, globalisation and various pressing subjects are provocatively captured on film. She has had some of her works exhibited in Ottawa and Toronto Canada.Â
Luminous yet subtle abstract and figurative paintings reveal a fusion cultural influences, and experiences endured in Sultan’s journey in assmililating between life in Africa and North America.Â
Her art punctuates and pierces a wave of questions of human dignity, colossal loss of wars, life of a courtesan and major other social themes. Sultan is senstive to light and colour. Her work can be calssified with using strong oil base, and lots of blues, yellows, red and burnt orange.
Â
Apart from visual art, Sultan is a writer for several newspaper. Her subjects include politics, literature, poetry and eastern philosophy. She does not shy away in dialoguing concerns facing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, not to mention the genocides in Congo. A constant worker, Sultan is convinced that tenacity and perserverance are the deepest, firmest pillars to create the enigma out there.
JR is grateful that Dhanji has shared the images of her two recent paintings that are shown above. The write up has been adapted from a review of her works.
Subscribe
Shaheen hello,
Am most happy to see your work and know you personally.
I also enjoy your articles very much.
Warm wishes,
F.G
Comment by F.G — December 12, 2007 @ 8:51 pm
Raza Sahab,
Thank you for sharing talents from world artists. I really like the painting of the woman above. Is the Artist selling?
MashaAllah work for Ms. Sultan.
Regards,
Zoeb Umer
Comment by Zoeb Umer — December 13, 2007 @ 3:49 pm
This is lovely. I like the hand painting and the colours are lovely. I also see the hand is covering the eye? Very interesting.
Indian neighbour,
Siddarth
Comment by Siddarth Oberoi — December 16, 2007 @ 5:19 pm
It is Raza’s kindness to share my work with all…
Thanks for the comments.
Bestest,
Shaheen Sultan Dhanji
Comment by Shaheen Sultan Dhanji — December 16, 2007 @ 11:19 pm
The portrait of the woman is painted smoothly. I like the finish because it leaves a very sweet and smooth effect. I’m a painter myself. Like the way Shaheen Sultan Dhanji has covered the face and not have a ‘tag’ attached to the face. Beauty lies in so many ways and looking at this figurative it shows so much.
Second, the hand is covering a life. Thats what the painting means to me. Artist has (my perception) intricately woven LIFE into this hand and it’s really pleading the way to some far path. Liked it very much. Mentioned above that Sultan does photography, would want to see those some time.
Regards from Qattar
Saqia Qureshi
Comment by Saqia Qureshi — December 23, 2007 @ 5:44 am
Shaheen, it is a pleasure to know you. Good to see Ismaili artist emerging in society and leaving a trail of good. You’re an intelligent young woman and I’m proud of our Ismaili heritage and knowing another artist. Please contact me when you get a moment and I wish you lots of great success in your endeavours.
Nageeb
Comment by Nageeb Somani — December 31, 2007 @ 2:30 pm
Pingback by Don’t Tase Me, Bro « Design, Photograph, Communicate — February 5, 2008 @ 7:13 pm
FRom Kabul Afghanistan. This is Mian Mir Shah wants to find information about Shaheen Saheba. Do she write about Afghanistan? Tabish Bhimani refer me to this site to know more. I read few days back about article she wrote on Mirza Ghalib. Like very much.
Khoda Hafiz
Mian Mir Shah
Comment by Mian Mir Shah — February 5, 2008 @ 7:19 pm
She also beautiful and smart. I met her at the African Socialist meeting and is great speaker. Nice eyes! Wish her best of luck and good work for a better world to live in.
Free Africa!
From,
Abu Sadik Hassan - Cape Town, South Africa
Comment by Abu Sadik Hassan — February 11, 2008 @ 4:32 am
Wonderful art. I’m an amateur artist and seeing this makes me want to learn more. Where can I contact Shaheen? I’m in Santa Monica, USA.
Comment by Neha Mirchandani — February 17, 2008 @ 5:38 am
brother jahaane rumi, you have intresting categories in your blog. i engine searched shaheen sultan on the google after i read her article on salvador allende. it was well written and now i came across your blog. i’m enjoying very much. so much to learn now from this blog. comments above also are from people in different countries, your blog is popular. i’m from turkey, also birthplace of mevelana rumi but i live in istanbul.
Comment by eliyaan — February 22, 2008 @ 11:29 pm
Lovely paintings. Wonderful site.
Bless all.
Asra
Comment by Asra Abrar — March 24, 2008 @ 1:52 am
Shaheen Sultan Dhanji, very good to see your art & I really like this site. I feel like I’m really in Pakistan after going thru the site. Good job Jahane Rumi.
Above commentor, Abu Sadik, it’s true Shaheen is lovely and intelligent and I know her really well to say she’s also a music lover and strong views on socialism.
Jahane Rumi, accept my best wishes.
Karim
Comment by Karim — April 27, 2008 @ 2:37 am
Dear friends,
I am grateful to all for appreciating my art, and for much encouragement to keep exploring and creating art.
But…Raza… much thanks to you, for this beautiful platform -Jahane Rumi; it is here where I feel most at “home”-an abode of completeness, especially when the West feels a bit cold.
Cheers,
Shaheen
Comment by Shaheen Sultan Dhanji — April 28, 2008 @ 5:26 pm