Zubeida Agha was one of Pakistan's first and most important modern painters, a pioneer who helped shift local art from descriptive realism to intellectual idea-driven modernism. Born in Lyallpur (now Faisalabad) in 1922, she began painting in the 1940s and soon distinguished herself through her bold artistic experimentation. Between 1944 and 1946, Agha worked with B. C. Sanyal and studied under Mario Perlingieri, an Italian prisoner of war in India. These experiences exposed her to new artistic ideas and approaches. Early recognition came when she won first prize for modern painting at an All India Exhibition organised by the Society of Fine Arts, Lahore. In 1950, Agha enrolled at Saint Martin's School...