Her father's daughter

Veteran painter and installation artist Fawad Tamkanat never wanted to pose his thoughts on his daughter and wanted her to take up a career that she finds appealing. But like father, Afza Tamkanat too found her calling in the world of art and has showcased her work in India and abroad at the art fairs like World Art Dubai and Affordable Art Fair in New York.

Recently, she exhibited her series of vintage cars, upon which she has been working for over five years, at India Art Fair in Mumbai. The inspiration behind this series was drawn from her childhood memories attached to her grandfather’s Fiat car. “I believe cars have nostalgic and sentimental value. The moments spent in the car become memories that are cherished by people and I believe each car has a story to tell,” says Afza. 

Growing up in a house full of brushes and colours, Afza’s journey as an artist began when she was three years old and would paint using the brushes that were discarded by her father. “I used to keep all her drawings and paintings in one file with no intentions of her becoming a painter,” recalls Fawad, who has been an inspiration for her daughter Afza but not an influence in any manner.

“My father is my inspiration. I was raised in a household with colours and brushes all around me and it came very naturally for me to paint,” says Afza and before one could ask if he influenced her work in any way, she adds, “It was very easy for me to get influenced by his working style but I managed to create my own unique style staying under his guidance.” Fawad proudly agrees on his daughter’s thoughts and says that he doesn’t interfere in Afza’s work and has no influence on her work either.

Interestingly, the artist was equally enamoured by the lifestyle of the artists since childhood and had made up her mind about pursuing a career in arts when she was in the second standard. “I wanted to work on my own terms in life and the added perk of sleeping till late was a bonus,” she quips. Fawad confirms her daughter’s wish to become an artist because she observed a lot of comfort in his schedule. “One day, she says, I want to be relaxed like you and fix my appointments on my time,” he recalls laughingly.

While pursuing the same profession and carrying forward a legacy may appear easy, Afza found it challenging to let her work speak for itself without her father’s name attached to it. It is to get away with the tag of her father, Afza decided to put up her solo shows abroad, first being held in Dubai. “I exhibited a lot of my paintings overseas and have done my solo shows only to know where my work stood in a competitive international market,” says Afza while adding that everyone knew her as Fawad’s daughter and even invited her to have solo shows without seeing her work. “That’s when I decided to exhibit overseas to break away from my surname and make my work speak for itself,” adds Afza who has taken her work to several art fairs overseas where she feels her works are selected on merit after passing a rigorous jury selection.

When asked if she observes any difference in the reception of ideas and her work abroad, Afza agrees. “International audience is more receptive to new ideas and has more awareness of the art industry,” says the painter. Reasoning her statement, she says that Indian schools need to include art and its history and impact on human culture in their curriculum.

Fawad, too, blames it on the poor education system and blames it as the reason why people in India don’t have the eyes needed to observe an artwork. “We don’t have art appreciation courses. Art should be introduced in elementary school. Kids should be exposed to the aesthetics of art,” asserts the veteran artist.