Of Honor And The Moment

With pieces from her acclaimed art collection – a stunning assemblage of 3rd century BC Gandhara sculptures, 17th century Mughal miniatures, and works by modern masters Ai Wei Wei, Takashi Murakami, and Ju Ming, as well as acclaimed Pakistani contemporary artists Imran Qureshi, Rashid Rana and Adeel uz Zafar – exhibited in important museums in four corners of the globe, Amna Naqvi talks candidly about her responsibilities as arts philanthropist and collector, and a devoted cricket fan

- Marc Almagro

When Islamabad United won the Pakistan Super League Championship earlier this year, Amna Naqvi’s name came up again in the media – not that it has ever left the collective consciousness for long stretches of time. But a majority of those who are familiar with her stature – as collector, publisher, supporter and collaborator in art projects and initiatives, as well as a philanthropist – are art aficionados who would be forgiven for thinking she exerts considerable influence only in the art world.

Naqvi and her husband, an investment banker, are the owners of the champion cricket team. And although she does not seek media spotlight, her activities in the arts, highlighted by enlivening contemporary Pakistani art locally and internationally, rarely escape public attention. When I asked Naqvi if she’s been able to put her wide-ranging interests in some form of order, she gave me an elaborate yet clear answer.

“History informs whatever I do,” she begins. “I firmly believe that history provides us with tools to understand and navigate the times we live in as well as the future. It would be a challenge to categorize my interests, although I am usually biased towards art. 

“All of my art-related activities stem from a desire to be a keeper of stories that artists have told. I also support and provide artmaking platforms, and encourage artists, curators and art historians to weave narratives in the form of exhibitions, projects and collaborations.” Naqvi and her husband have been collecting art for almost 25 years through the AAN Foundation and AAN Collection as they moved through Asia.