The vibes are positive here

Gurnaaz Kaur

Innovative Vibes II, an art exhibition from Kashmir, marks its second edition in the City Beautiful. Dedicated to the memory of Gayoor Hassan, an artist and academician, it is his son Naushad Gayoor’s effort to bring to the fore the artworks of the Valley residents.

But that’s not all; the exhibition boasts a myriad collection of artists from across the country and abroad as well. It has a participation of 141 artists, which makes it a mega show displaying a great variety of aesthetic paradigms. “It’s a collective effort of Gayoor Art Foundation Trust Kashmir and Master Sansar Chand Memorable Charitable Trust. It has taken us months to bring it together. Our motto is to uplift art and culture of Kashmir and a part of that includes making it available for art lovers across India and outside,” say Naushad, who has been working on this mission for a decade.

Taking pride in his father’s contribution to the development of modern art in Kashmir, he explains, “My father took charge as the principal of Institute of Music and Fine Art when the Valley was witnessing the worst period of violence. It is difficult to imagine a functional art institute in the midst of insurgency. His contribution lies in his unflinching and unwavering determination to run the art institute and the ability to maintain a prolific artistic engagement.”

Now that he is no more, Naushad has taken upon him to walk in his father’s footsteps. A practicing artist himself, he explains how in the 60s, his father was friends with eminent artists such as MF Husain, Kishan Khanna, Dhanraj Bhagat, et al. Some of their artworks are in fact displayed at the exhibition, making it the highlight of the event. In all, there are works of 45 artists from Jammu and Kashmir; the remaining entries are from other parts of India such as Delhi, Gujarat, Ujjain and Bhopal; then some are from Tunisia, UK, China and South Africa.

While the life and situations in Valley may not be rosy, people there take to art as a refuge. According to Naushad, the first ever art camp in India was organised in 1969 in Kashmir. He says, “Kashmir has been a favourite destination for artists across India. In the mid 20th century SH Raza’s frequent sojourns in Kashmir and later Ghulam Rasool Santosh’s idea to host art camps brought some of the reputed modern artists in direct contact with the aspiring local artists. These early interactions shaped the course of modern art practices of local Kashmiri artists.”