Born in the year 1946 in Amroha, Eqbal Mehdi shifted to Karachi in 1962 Having no formal education in art, he joined the studio of artist Sadequain and that is where he honed his skills Other influencing patrons included an Iranian gentleman named Lala Rasheed and famed poet Faiz Ahmed His debut solo exhibition took place in the year 1969 in Karachi, he was twenty three years of age at that point in time The realism in his work is breathtaking and can be intimidating because of its perfection The various textures he emulated in his canvas to represent the characters or motifs is his trademark Realist legends such as Rembrandt and Andrew Wyeth inspired him and he strived hard to master the technique of shading and lighting Textures and materials in his creations are executed and presented in their truest form, which clearly indicates the outstanding quality of his work He has exhibited his works at the prestigious Rembrandt Gallery in Munich, Germany amongst many more venues The artist passed away in Karachi in 2008