A hand-painted animation by artist Eeman Masood will be shown every night this February on the iconic billboards of Times Square in New York City, placing the work of a Pakistan-trained miniature painter in one of the world’s most visible public art spaces.
The piece, titled “The List,” is part of Times Square Arts’ monthly “Midnight Moment” program. Talking further Pakinomist news program “Pakinomist Pakistan”, Masood said the work is shown every night from 11:57 PM to 12:00 AM on 96 screens, with February designated as her exhibition month.
Masood said her practice is rooted in miniature and watercolor painting, which she studied at the National College of Arts (NCA). During her master’s degree at the University of Victoria in Canada, she said she was able to bring the hand-painted practice into animation with greater access to facilities and support.
Describing the selection process, she said artists can submit proposals, but the final selection is made after several rounds of review by panelists. Masood said her work was selected last year, followed by a lengthy process before it was displayed.
‘Listen’ reflects what she described as the quiet generosity and endurance of the natural world. The animation features sparkling particles encircling an ancient banyan tree, blurring the line between the earthly and the heavenly.
Masood said that every element of the piece, including the peacocks and the banyan tree at its center, was painted by hand before being animated.
The music for the piece was created by her friend Mujeeb, a senior from NCA, who played the flute and santur, with the soundtrack made especially for the project.
Masood said she has long been drawn to nature, not just for its surface beauty, but for the “little signs of hope” it offers, cycles of ending and return.
Linking the banyan tree motif to a visit to Lahore in 2023, she said she had long heard of a banyan referred to as a “tree of blessing” and was moved when she saw it for the first time. She said its condition appeared poor, with advertisements plastered on it, but it continued to cast massive shadows as people ran their shops beneath it.
