Laila Shahzada

"The pinks in Laila Shahzada's landscapes and Changez Sultan's Himalayan Odyssey always puzzled me till I saw the sky over Islamabad ablaze in a winter sunset. From the vantage point at Pir Shohava, in this opera of colours, the full spectrum of pink was definitely the soprano, adding drama and awe to the skeletal pre-spring backdrop. This is what, we the children of the city, with its smoggy skies and fume-filled streets, where the brightest colours come from the jungle of signboards, never get to experience or develop a warm connection with."

--Niilofur Farrukh

Laila Shahzada is one of Pakistan's most internationally renowned artists. She was of the first women painters in Pakistan to gain international recognition, with exhibitions around the world including Pakistan, London, Paris, Tokyo, Monte Carlo and New York. Her honors include the Pride of Performance, Pakistan's highest civil award by the government, and the "Key to the City" of New York -- the first and only Pakistani to receive this award. She was also recently featured on a stamp by the Pakistan Post.