Artists rediscover canvas to bind Kashmiris

Srinagar: Last week, 60 artists from all over the world came together to showcase their work under a single roof — an abandoned silk factory in Srinagar.  Curated by eminent artists, Syed Mujtaba Rizvi and Veer Munshi, it was the first attempt to revive artistic traditions of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) after a gap of some decades.

Another important aspect of the exhibition was that many of the artists whose work was displayed and appreciated by visitors are Kashmiri Pandits who left the state in the aftermath of the militant violence in 1989-90.

The organisers said that the exhibition was aimed at restoring harmony between the majority Muslim and minority Brahmin Hindu communities of the Valley.

“We tried to bring on a single platform artists belonging to the two communities to share their experiences through their work and tell the story of J&K from their own perspective - divergent as they are,” said Mr Rizvi.

He said that some of these artists had left the Valley in 1990 or later, while others had moved out earlier for varied reasons, including better career opportunities available elsewhere. “With their participation, a lot of conflicting ideas came on a single platform, which was good as this could be a way to reach a consensus on our political, social and psychological crisis,” he added.  

Mr Munshi, a Kashmiri Pandit, said that the aim was to promote the idea of togetherness and promote dialogue through their (artists) work. Munshi, 61,  who lives in Gurgaon has tried to transform into his paintings his memories about Kashmir and the exodus of a vast majority of his community members. “The exodus must have been very painful for him. He seeks to reflect the same through his work,” said Shahzad A. Khan, a student pursuing a degree in fine arts.

While inaugurating the eigh-day 9th Annual Contemporary Art Show-Consourse, governor N.N. Vohra said that he feels sad that the post-1990s turmoil in the Valley has done “irreparable damage” to art and culture. He also said that the exhibition was a significant event as it sought to revive artistic traditions here after a gap of several decades.

He recalled that during his visits to J&K, he would also meet many eminent artists, sculptors and painters, locals and outsiders (or tourists?), who would frequently visit J&K to seek inspiration from its people and enchanting beauty.

The exhibition was held in 120-year-old Resham Khana as the Srinagar’s silk factory is popularly known by its Urdu variant. It was set up by Dogra ruler, Maharaja Pratap Singh (July 18, 1848-September 23, 1925). What is left of it today is three ramshackle filature houses, the latest built in 1917, a water storage house and an office building. Holding the exhibition in such an unsafe building surprised many. “I was shocked to see such beautiful, precious and great works of art being displayed inside such a ruined and abandoned structure. When I protested I was told this is not just a mundane place, but something connected with our past. There could not have been a better place to hold such an event meant to ponder about our past, our present, and our future,” said Asma Irshad, a student.

She added, “By coming here I came to know an important component of our past, I knew nothing about. I can feel how beautiful our past was.”   

Explaining the rationale behind holding the exhibition at Resham Khana, Mr Rizvi said, “This was the world’s largest silk manufacturing factory in the good old days. We decided to organise the exhibition here in a bid to freshen up the memories of the people and, at the same time, try to do something new.”

He said, “Mr Vohra gave us the idea of converting the premises into a permanent art gallery. He said that the place could be redone to provide a permanent art gallery for attracting the Kashmiri Pandit artists and others who were forced to leave their homes.”

Syed Naeem Akhtar, then minister for culture, said there is a need to organise similar events regularly “so that Kashmiri diaspora could connect to their roots and enrich the artistic scene here”.

He announced that he will be issuing orders to convert the forsaken silk factory in Srinagar’s Solina area into an art gallery, while maintaining the original architecture and ambience. That was on June 17, two days before the Mehbooba Mufti government collapsed after ally BJP walked away from the three-year alliance with Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and paving the way for governor’s rule.

Since the idea of converting the silk factory into a permanent art gallery came from the governor, art-lovers hope he would take steps to turn it into reality.