Pakistani painter Jamil Naqsh passed away in London on Thursday after contracting “serious pneumonia” earlier this month. He had been admitted to the hospital after being infected with pneumonia. His death was confirmed by Shahneela Ahmed, director of public relations and communications of the Jamil Naqsh Museum. “It is with a heavy heart that family of Jamil Naqsh has to announce the demise of this esteemed artist from the world. There has never been an artist more connected to his roots of culture. Every piece of his art was a story within itself. We request for your prayers for his soul,” read a statement. Jamil Naqsh was a Pakistani contemporary artist whose paintings are a blend of cubism, tempered with fluidity and a subtle use of colour. A dropout of the National College of Arts, Naqsh was honoured with the Pride of Performance Award in 1989 and Sitara-i-Imtiaz in 2009. He was contemporary of Ahmed Pervez, Bashir Mirza, Shahid Sajjad and Masud Kohari. Except for Kohari, all the leading painters have left for eternal abode. Born in Kairana, Uttar Pradesh, in 1939, Naqsh grew up in a home frequented by artists, writers, poets, musicians, politicians and others. In 1954, Naqsh briefly joined the National College of Arts in Lahore. He was a serious student who was particularly drawn to miniature painting. However, he left NCA after a year to become a full-time student of dedicated miniaturist Ustad Mohammad Sharif. A year later, he moved to Karachi. Naqsh, 79, who had been settled in London for the last 10 years, was admitted to St Mary’s Hospital on May 7, where doctors did not appear optimistic about his chances of recovery.