KARACHI, Pakistan — Osama bin Laden stares out at an army of shadowy figures, each with the head of a parrot, carrying a machine gun.
A patriotic picture of the U.S. flag isn’t all it seems: Each of the stars and stripes is made up of tiny Urdu verses asking for forgiveness and mercy from God.
In New York, the roof of the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art is covered with paint that looks like dried blood.
These are all works by Pakistanis — Amir Raza, Muhammad Zeeshan and Imran Qureshi, respectively. Pakistan’s most violent decade in history has seen prices of paintings, the number of art galleries in major cities and the frequency of exhibitions all multiplying for the nation’s artists.
Nationwide, attacks by Taliban insurgents have killed 40,000 people since Pakistan decided to support the U.S. war in Afghanistan following the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
“I don’t think terrorism is the sole factor,” said Shakira Masood, curator at the Karachi gallery Art Chowk, who has been asked to hold exhibitions in Hong Kong and Istanbul. “Artists may have gotten into the limelight from that, but they are very talented.”
The new generation of contemporary artists has started to sell more in international auction houses and seen greater interest from collectors and investors in Pakistan, the world’s sixth most populous nation.
“If you invest in a top artist painting, you will get a higher return” than many other investment avenues, said Tauqeer Muhajir, publisher and editor of the art magazine Nigaah. Demand for Pakistani paintings is rising because they are relatively cheap and high in quality, he said.
Art Chowk sells half its collection to buyers from the U.S. to China and Switzerland via its website. Another Karachi gallery, Eye for Art, holds three international exhibitions annually.
“Pakistani art prices have now recovered to levels before the global financial crisis in 2008, when they peaked and were a better investment than real estate,” said Ali Haider, Eye For Art gallery director.
“Great works are being produced by the artists from the region,” said Deepanjana Klein, a specialist in South Asian modern and contemporary art at Christie’s International that claims to be the first international auction house to include Pakistani art at auction in 2006.
Qureshi is Deutsche Bank’s Artist of the Year for 2013. His roof garden commission continues until Nov. 3 at the New York Metropolitan Museum.
Raza, a recent graduate in fine arts, used the subject of terrorism in his first exhibition. One work, the painting of bin Laden and the parrot-headed figures, is called “Shabash,” meaning “good job.” In another, a woman in a veil is depicted reading from a book with guns displayed in the background. His paintings start at $175.
Zeeshan, who grew up in the small town of Mirpurkhas, used to be a poster painter for the local film industry, which occasionally still resorts to painting two-story-high billboards instead of printing. He had a change of fortune after joining the National College of Arts in Lahore.
After specializing in miniatures, Zeeshan started to sell works — for less than $100 in 2003 and as much as $20,000 now. He brushes paintings on handmade wasli paper and has even used Pepsi and Coca-Cola cans in his works.
“Pakistan artists caught the eye of international galleries and curators after the 9/11 twin tower attack,” Zeeshan said. “Terrorism, Taliban and bin Laden are the biggest subjects of the century.”
