Baba’s brush every artist’s pride

Gurvinder Singh

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, March 14

‘Brush Wale Baba’ is eagerly awaited by budding and experienced artists alike, for a variety of art and painting brushes he brings. ‘Baba’ has been selling these brushes for the past eight years. Travelling across the country, he brings quality brushes to art enthusiasts at much lesser prices than market rates.

Fazluddin, who had been working as an ‘auctioneer’ for the discarded material from government departments, started selling art brushes around eight years back, when he found a stock of these from a manufacturer. He sold them all, and loved the joy these brought to the faces of budding artists. He has not looked back since. Despite the ripe age of 73, he tours across the country to sell these brushes and art material to artists, both young and experienced.

Baba visits colleges and art colleges, art galleries in various cities. “I travel to all states in the country to make these brushes available to all. I have been to all states of the country, except Assam,” he says.

He visits the city around five times and goes to many colleges during his week-long stay here. Artists keep in touch with him on the phone and make purchases during his visits to the city.

He also makes makes his own brushes. “I sell around 45 types of art brushes of all sizes. While I pick these in bulk from different manufacturers based in different parts of the country, I also make some brushes myself when I go back to Delhi. Members of my family and boys in the neighbourhood also help me make these brushes,” he says.

“So these brushes cost me much less, and I am able to sell them at almost half the market prices,” he says. He also sells other art materials such as colour and canvass.

Baba is eagerly awaited by students as well. “I first saw Baba selling brushes at Punjabi Bhawan a couple of years ago. He has such a large variety of brushes and sells them at much cheaper prices than the market rates. So I always look forward to his visits to the city,” says Renu, an artist. “He also has a good knowledge of how these brushes differ in terms of the effects these create on the canvass. So it is always interesting to buy brushes from  him,” says Gitika,  a student.