Binqulander Pakistani, b. March 3rd, 1980

Tahir Bin Qalandar, professionally known as Binqulander (or Bin Qulander), was born in 1980 in Lahore, Pakistan, into a family deeply rooted in Sufi tradition as the son of the Sufi sage Ghulam Rasool Qulander. This spiritual upbringing, centered on love, humility, and remembrance of the Divine, became a foundational influence on his artistic language, where Arabic letters and Qur’anic verses function as both text and symbol.
Before fully committing to fine art, he worked for nearly a decade as a graphic designer, developing a strong command of layout, typography, and visual rhythm. He earned a two-year Diploma in Fine Arts from the Arts Council Lahore in 1999, followed by a professional diploma in Graphic Design from the College of Art & Design, University of the Punjab, in 2004. In 2005 he joined the National College of Arts (NCA), Lahore, completing a BFA in miniature painting in 2009 and later a professional diploma in classical calligraphy (2010–2011) under Ustad Khursheed Gohar Qalam.
At NCA, Binqulander began merging miniature painting discipline with large-scale calligraphic canvases, ultimately focusing on Thuluth (khat-e-sulus) script adapted to canvas. His works feature asymmetrical compositions, circular medallions, layered texts, and flowing diagonals, using washes and metallic leaf to create depth and movement that suggest both visible and hidden meanings.
His first solo exhibition, The Journey (Hamail Art Galleries, Lahore, 2009), marked the emergence of this synthesis, followed by Wisdom (Karachi, 2010), Aliff (Lahore, 2011), and Wal-Qalam (Dubai, 2012), along with numerous national and international group exhibitions. His work has been shown and collected across Pakistan, the Gulf region, and beyond.