A hand-painted animation by artist Eeman Masood is projected every night in February on the iconic billboards of Times Square in New York City, placing the work of a Pakistani-trained miniature painter in one of the most visible public art spaces in the world.
The piece, titled “Listen,” is part of Times Square Arts’ monthly “Midnight Moment” program. speaking in Geographic news On the “PakGazette Pakistan” programme, Masood said the play is on display every night from 11:57 pm to 12:00 am on 96 screens, with February designated as its exhibition month.
Masood said his practice has its roots in miniature and watercolor painting, which he 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 that hand-painted practice to animation with greater access to facilities and support.
Describing the selection process, he said artists can submit proposals, but the final choice is made after multiple rounds of review by the panelists. Masood said his work was selected last year, followed by a long process before it came to display.
‘Listen’ reflects what she described as the quiet generosity and resilience of the natural world. The animation features glowing particles surrounding an ancient banyan tree, blurring the line between earthly and heavenly.
Masood said every element of the piece, including the peacocks and the banyan tree in the center, was hand-painted before being animated.
The music for the play was created by her friend Mujeeb, a final year student at NCA, who played flute and santur, and the soundtrack was made specifically for the project.
Masood said she has long been drawn to nature not just for its surface beauty but for the “small signs of hope” it offers, cycles of end and return.
She linked the banyan tree motif to a visit to Lahore in 2023, and said she had long heard of a banyan tree referred to as a “blessing tree” and was moved when she saw it for the first time. He said its condition seemed poor, with advertisements plastered on it, but it continued to provide great shade as people made their tents below.
