Abdul Jabbar Gull cannot say exactly when or where he first began to realise that ‘art’ would become his vocation. Growing up in Mirpurkhas, a remote area in Pakistan that does not have any conventional art activities associated with larger towns, on his way to school, he remembers seeing a sign painter who used to work in calligraphy and make portraits. Watching him at work motivated Gull to attempt calligraphy and make sketches on his schoolbooks. Later, as an art student at the National College of Art, Lahore, he explored the various disciplines.
In sculpture he found what he had been searching for all along. It helped him develop his senses and increased his awareness towards the world around him. He learnt to see and feel his surroundings in an entirely new way. He found his passion.
The human form, for Gull, is the most important phenomenon of the universe. It is a major source of inspiration in his work. Additive processes like modeling and subtractive processes, like carving, behave in very different ways. He enjoys working in both mediums to reveal varied forms.
Gull finds wood and metal to be sympathetic mediums. His carvings in wood set out to explore numerous questions arising from the changing circumstances of his life. His work speaks of the mysteries and ambiguities faced in this process.
