Ajab Khan

Ajab Khan’s first exposure to color came from the sight of fabrics rich in hue emerging from the dark, boiling liquid of a dyer’s cauldron—an experience that left a lasting impact on his artistic expression. Born to a working-class family that migrated to Dera Ismail Khan from India, Ajab Khan is a self-taught painter. As a child, his favorite activity was coloring black-and-white family photos by applying thin layers of paint made from fabric dyeing pigments.

Recognizing his keen interest in colors and his talent for drawing, his father would buy him colored pencils to nurture his creativity. Ajab Khan further honed his skills by observing local workshops of commercial signboard painters and wall-chalking artisans, which served as informal institutions where he learned the fundamentals of calligraphy and painting.