Pakistani digital artist shoots to fame with art inspired by royal visit

ISLAMABAD: British fever has relatively simmered down in Pakistan where last week the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge concluded their four-day visit to the country. On their arrival, some artists and artisans opted to gift the couple with portraits and culturally important items, but some decided to have a little tongue-in-cheek fun with their arrival and the surrounding media frenzy. Pakistani digital media artist, Digink, whose Instagram has reached nearly 25 thousand followers, created one of a kind digital art, placing Pakistani music greats in paintings that one might find in, say, a British Duke’s home.

“I was messing around with a lot of photo manipulation and putting people in scenarios where they aren’t supposed to be,” Digink, who prefers using his artist tag, told Arab News. “That theme already was in the works on my page where I was putting rappers in dabbas, for example, creating scenarios that would never happen in real life.”
“During the time the royal family were on their way, I was thinking to myself, ‘How awesome would it be if those paintings in British mansions, those very specific types of paintings, had a Pakistani icon in them.’”
Inspired by the Royal visit and truly the reaction to it, Digink produced four portraits featuring some of Pakistan’s most prominent music legends.

“I came up with the idea of doing a portrait of Abida Parveen,” said Digink. He had a tough time coming up with the right idea and danced between possibly first producing an Atif Aslam or Rahat Fateh Ali Khan portrait, but eventually ended up back at using Parveen’s face first. “It took me around three to four hours to completely make it.”
All the posts have over a thousand likes with majority of comments praising Digink for the series and its timing.

Digink, a self-taught digital artist, playing around with different software while studying abroad in Australia, is known for his clever social commentary, particularly targeting what he recognizes people like himself in Pakistan. His art work is populated with references to life in Islamabad, and of relative privilege, never shying away from tackling a tough subject or calling out more privileged, read “burger” classes, one he himself identifies with.
“The commentary around on my art is so different I think to what other artists get,” Digink told Arab News. “There is a group of people who relate to my stuff. They love it and want more. Then there is that opposite group that comments like ‘You are disrespecting our culture’ and all that, but I don’t see it that way. In order to progress, we have to be willing to be critical.”
Digink’s work is available both for free and for purchase, including his iconic portraits, on his Instagram account.