A hand-painted animation by artist Eeman Masood is being screened every night this February on the iconic billboards of Times Square in New York City, placing a Pakistan-trained miniature painter’s work in one of the world’s most visible public art spaces.
The piece, titled Listen, is part of Times Square Arts’ monthly “Midnight Moment” program. Speaking on Geo News program “Geo Pakistan,” Masood said the work is displayed nightly from 11:57 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. across 96 screens, with February designated as her showcase month.
Masood said her artistic practice is rooted in miniature and watercolor painting, which she 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 into animation with greater access to facilities and support.
Describing the selection process, Masood explained that artists can submit proposals, but the final selection is made after multiple rounds of review by panelists. She said her work was selected last year, followed by a lengthy process before it reached public display.
Listen reflects what Masood described as the quiet generosity and endurance of the natural world. The animation features shimmering particles encircling an ancient banyan tree, blurring the line between the earthly and the celestial.
Masood said every element in the piece, including the peacocks and the banyan tree at its center, was painted by hand before being animated.
The music for the project was created by her friend Mujeeb, a senior from NCA, who played the flute and santur. The soundtrack was composed specifically for this work.
Masood said she has long been drawn to nature not only for its surface beauty but for the “small signs of hope” it offers, cycles of ending and return.
She linked the banyan tree motif to a visit to Lahore in 2023. Masood said she had long heard about a banyan referred to as a “tree of blessing” and was deeply moved when she saw it for the first time. Although its condition appeared poor, with advertisements pasted on it, the tree continued to provide massive shade while people ran their shops beneath it.
