ISSA Pakistan Member, Former Minister of culture Jamal Shah Was Honored with Order of Arts and Letters

On October 1 in Islamabad, Jamal Shah, a renowned Pakistani artist, member of ISSA Pakistan, and former 

Minister of Culture, was awarded the French Order of Arts and Letters. The Ambassador of France to Pakistan, 

Nicolas Galey, conferred the prestigious Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Order of Arts and Letters) on renowned 

Pakistani artist Jamal Shah, in recognition of his lifelong contributions to art, culture, and heritage. The award 

ceremony, held at the French residence, was attended by leading artists, intellectuals, and cultural figures.

In his address, Ambassador Galey warmly welcomed Jamal Shah, his family, and friends of the embassy, 

praising Shah’s remarkable journey through multiple artistic disciplines. “We are gathered tonight to 

celebrate a singular contribution to the field of arts and culture, as you have been officially inducted into

 this Order of Arts and Letters,” he said. The award, established in 1957 by the French Ministry of Culture,

 honors distinguished global contributors in the realm of arts and literature.

Ambassador Galey highlighted Shah’s deep-rooted connection to Pakistan’s diverse cultural and 

historical heritage. Referring to Quetta, his hometown in Balochistan, the ambassador recalled the work 

of French archaeologists in nearby Mehrgarh, where remains of one of the earliest known human 

settlements were discovered. “This unique historical depth and rich cultural narrative is something you 

kept at heart as you navigated art forms as varied as sculpture, printmaking, acting, and painting,” 

he remarked.

He praised Shah’s academic journey through the National College of Arts (NCA), where he later became 

an influential teacher, and his 15-year tenure as founder and head of the Hunerkada College of Visual and

 Performing Arts. “Above all, we admire your deep attachment to transmission, giving back through 

teaching and social work. You exemplify the necessity for all artists of giving back and of belonging, 

but also art’s key role as a form of resilience and healing,” Galey said.

The French envoy underlined that Shah’s philosophy of “resistance through art and art through 

resistance” resonates strongly with France’s own cultural identity and diplomatic outlook. He recalled 

Shah’s visit to France in 2017 as a guest of the Ministry of Culture, and his tenure as Pakistan’s Federal 

Minister of National Heritage and Culture in 2023, where he sought to promote tourism, archaeology, crafts, 

and folk traditions.

For Islamabad’s cultural scene, Ambassador Galey noted, Jamal Shah had been a driving force—whether 

as Director General of the Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA), or more recently as Chairman of the Silk 

Road Cultural Center. “From art exhibitions to festivals and concerts, you have maintained and 

strengthened the diversity of partners, art forms, mediums, and themes that have characterized your 

career of more than 45 years,” he said. The ceremony not only recognized Jamal Shah’s individual 

accomplishments but also symbolized the enduring cultural cooperation between Pakistan and France.

Jamal Shah reflected on his lifelong engagement with art, literature, and cinema, which he described as 

a constant “drift” rather than a specialization. “I consider myself to be a drifter. I drift from one thing to 

another so that I can enjoy life as much as I can,” he said, adding that art cannot be expressed effectively

 without first understanding life.

Concluding his remarks, Shah emphasized that for him, art remains inseparable from life. “Art is for life, 

and life gives meaning to art,” he said, thanking the French government for the honor.

The ceremony highlighted France’s cultural ties with Pakistan and honored Jamal Shah’s contributions 

as a painter, sculptor, actor, and filmmaker whose work embodies both artistic freedom and social commentary.

Materials Provider: ISSA Pakistan Member Jamal Shah

Chief Editor: Liu Qin

English Version Editor: Sun Ya’nan

Legal Advisor: Tao Ranting