On August 14th 2012 Chitra Pritam was awarded the Tamgha-i-Imtiaz and the artist credited his mentor Jamil Naqsh with his artistic success. His life in art truly began when the poet Obaidullah Aleem introduced him to Jamil Naqsh in 1989, and in Chitra’s words, Naqsh `became his spiritual guide.’ The aspiring young artist became his `disciple’ and Naqsh allotted him a studio on the ground floor of his house.
Chitra’s first solo exhibition was mounted at the Momart Gallery in 1995; the theme of the work was the landscape of countryside around his ancestral home, and the robust interpretations evoked an enthusiastic response from the public and the media. Chitra went on to show his work throughout the country and in group shows abroad.
In 2000, he held a solo exhibition of paintings at the National Art Gallery, Lahore, and in the Shakir Ali Museum in Lahore. In 2014, he mounted a solo exhibition of his work at the ArtScene Gallery, Karachi.
