A show of Pandit-Muslim bonhomie at art exhibition

Rifat Mohidin

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, June 20

To spread the message of peace and harmony, an art exhibition titled “Concourse” is being organised at the old silk factory in Solina area of Srinagar wherein artworks of Kashmiri Pandits and Muslims are on display under one roof.

The exhibition is the ninth annual contemporary art show, organised by the Kashmir Art Quest and the International Contemporary Arts Foundation based in Srinagar. It will continue till June 24. The exhibition is being co-curated by known Kashmiri artists Veer Munshi and Syed Mujtaba Rizvi.

Paintings depicting old structures of traditional houses, scenic greenery and traditional wooden boats, etc give a sense of multiple cultures that the strife-torn Valley comprises. It also depicts the turmoil through the barbed wires drawn on the canvas.

Colourful paintings and handmade wall hangings also display the creativity that the artists in Kashmir posses and the expressions they use to describe their homeland, Kashmir.

It is for the first time in decades that the two communities are sharing a same platform to showcase their emotions and feelings for their homeland through beauty and conflict.

Syed Mujtaba Rizvi, founder of the Kashmir Art Quest, said the “event will build confidence and bridge the gap between the two communities”.

He said internationally acclaimed artists of the Pandit community were showcasing their work during the exhibition. “The artists are internationally acclaimed but they are exhibiting their art form in the Valley for the first time,” Rizvi added.

“This exhibition will not just be historically significant due to its creative and cultural value but also aims to promote the idea of peace, harmony and togetherness through the medium of art,” he said.