I was born and brought up in Lahore Shahi Mohalla and what I saw around me inspired my works, my subject matter being the courtesans and musicians of the area. I have no intellectual pretensions — these are my people and I paint them as I know them from their close quarters. I paint what I see around me and each one of my paintings tells a story — they portray the hardcore reality of life, reflecting the day to day pain and pleasure of the common people.
