Having taken up aviation painting as a hobby during his pre-cadet days at Sarghodha, the artist has continued his close observation and accurate depiction of PAF activities for over 20 years.

In1982, Hussaini's talents were recognized by Mr. Keith Ferris, a world renowned aviation artist from the USA and the official Art Director of the United States Air Force. Mr. Keith Ferris personally visited Hussaini in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan and commented him on his work.

A realist in the tradition of Keith Ferris (USA), Frank Wootton (UK) and Paul Langeley (FRANCE), Hussaini has won international acclaim and a place of prominence amongst the leading aviation artists of the world. In this highly specialized field, he can rightly claim to be the first world class aviation artist in South Asia.

By virtue of his unique position in South Asian Sub-continent, Hussaini has been invited a number of times to USA by the 'American Society of Aviation Artists' to take part in the aviation art exhibitions and to address the participants of international aviation art forums. At the conclusion of the very first forum in 1987 which was hosted by the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, the artist was adjudged as a Life Member of the American Society of Aviation Artists (ASSA). A newspaper 'The Daily Progress' of Virginia (USA) paid rich tributes to Hussaini and termed him as "The oil and canvas chronicler of Pakistan's military victories".-----

The Service and the Nation have bestowed a number of honors on this quite, rather self-effacing artist. In recognition to his artistic services rendered to the PAF, Wing Commander S. M. A. Hussaini was awarded Tamgha-i-Basalat. On the 40th anniversary of the PAF, Government of Pakistan issued ten commemorative postage stamps all bearing the miniaturized prints of Hussaini's aviation paintings.