Faizan Peerzada () (born 1958

Lahore Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...

– died 21 December 2012, Lahore) was a Pakistani artist, puppeteer and theater director.

Career

Peerzada began painting and crafting puppets as a young adult and his lifelong passion for the arts colored the course of his entire life. His mark in the artistic world remains as a puppeteer, a painter and a patron of the arts. Peerzada also received the

Tamgha-i-Imtiaz Tamgha-e-Imtiaz (), also spelled as Tamgha-i-Imtiaz, is a state-organised Civil decorations of Pakistan, honour of Pakistan. It is given to any civilian in Pakistan based on their achievements. While it is a civilian/military award, it can be ...

, the Presidential Award for Puppetry in 2004.

Life of Faizan Peerzada

Faizan Peerzada was born, with a twin brother Sadaan, in Lahore, Pakistan in 1958. He was one of the sons of Pakistan's leading theatre playwright Rafi Peer along with his brothers Salman Peerzada and Usman Peerzada. Faizan finished his basic schooling at St. Anthony High School, Lahore, Pakistan and then attended the

National College of Arts The National College of Arts (colloquially known as NCA) is a public university located in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. Overview The National College of Arts – Federally Chartered Institute, is the oldest art school in Pakistan and the second ...

, Lahore without finishing his education there. Faizan started his career at Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop in 1977. He held his first painting exhibition at the American Cultural Centre, Karachi in 1977 Faizan held approximately 40 painting exhibitions in Pakistan, and 26 solo art exhibitions in the United States and Europe. Faizan began his career at Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop, and later became the artistic director there in 1979. He especially designed programmes to celebrate the 'International Year of the Child' spread over the entire year, designed three major art festivals in which at least 35,000 children participated in a span of six months in 1980. Faizan's fascination for lights began (He designed stages and lights for several Pakistani and International events) for 'Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop' in 1992. 'Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop' develops plays mainly for youth and child audiences and holds collabrative project events with international groups. It later founded the 'Museum of Puppetry' in Lahore, Pakistan in 2004. He was appointed the president of UNIMA (world-wide puppetry organisation) in Pakistan. Faizaan and his other family members produced ''Sim Sim Hamara'' (Our Sim Sim), a Pakistani version of

Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational television, educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation, and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Worksh ...

in 2011.

Death

Faizan Peerzada died of a heart attack at the age of 54 on 21 December 2012, in

, Pakistan.

Awards and recognition

(Medal of Excellence) Award for puppetry by the

Government of Pakistan The Government of Pakistan () (abbreviated as GoP), constitutionally known as the Federal Government, commonly known as the Centre, is the national authority of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, a federal republic located in South Asia, con ...

in 2004.

References

2012 deaths Pakistani artists Pakistani graphic designers Pakistani puppeteers Pakistani theatre directors 1958 births Artists from Lahore {{puppet-stub Pakistani painters Recipients of Tamgha-e-Imtiaz