The traditional crewel work on Gaba, one of the oldest and most cherished handicrafts of the Kashmir Valley, is facing the threat of extinction due to declining demand. Syed Noorullah, a crewel artisan with 30 years of experience, has been adorning the Gaba with exquisite crewel embroidery work. However, many artisans, like him, are struggling...
Category: Punjab
Photo Essay: Kashmiri handmade Zari work
After less than a decade in Zari work, 26-year-old, Afroza Jan, from Kashmir’s Ganderbal district claims to be the only female Zari work artist from her village. She primarily works with metallic threads like copper and some alloys. Jan, who learnt the Zari work in 2015 from one of her relatives, was recently conferred with an...
Photo Essay: 115-year-old Kashmiri cobbler,Ghulam Mohammad Sheikh
Despite his age, 115-year-old Kashmiri cobbler, Ghulam Mohammad Sheikh aka Gul Sheikh son of Ahmad Sheikh from Kashmir’s Bandipora district, continues to mend shoes, which he has been doing since almost a century and is a faith healer of sorts. Sheikh claims to have also worked as a labourer in gardens belonging to Maharaja Hari...
Photo Essay: The traditional craft of Pinjirakari
Fida Hussain Baba from Srinagar’s Nawa Kadal area is striving hard to preserve the traditional handmade Pinjirakari work. In Pinjirakari, different designs are made by interlacing the wooden members (mostly deodar and walnut) and joining them with each other with minimum use of glue, same as in khatamband. Baba, who has spent around five decades...
Photo Essay: Kashmir’s Silver Naqashi
Naqashi on Kashmir’s silverware dates back to the Mughal period. Mushtaq Ahmad Sodagar, 42, of Guzarbal in Ganderbal, has been a silver designer (naqash) for over two decades. However, due to dwindling demand he only designs on request and has moved over to copper designing which is more popular and gets him a steady income....
Photo Essay: Husband-Wife Duo Kani Weavers
A husband-and-wife duo from north Kashmir’s Baramulla district have dedicated their lives to preserving the centuries-old art of Kani Shawl weaving. Based in Agri Kalan, Baramulla, Bashir Ahmad Ganie and Jabeen Banoo have been involved in the intricate craft of Kani weaving since decades, and are now training others in the community. Together, they are...
Photo Essay: Painter Abdul Rashid Rather
Abdul Rashid Rather, a well known acrylic painting artist from Srinagar’s Bohri Kadal, has been associated with the art since the last 35 years despite the current demand for the art being very low. Rather said that the Acrylic painting was once a popular medium due to its vibrant colours and versatility, however, it is...
Photo Essay: Kashmiri Kalamkari
Muzzafar Hussain Sheikh, a 45-year-old Kashmiri craftsman, is among the few artisans in the Valley known for Kalamkari. In Paper-Mache Kalamkari, artisans meticulously draw floral designs on wooden surfaces using different colours and brushes, giving it a look similar to that of paper-mache design, which is formed on mashed soaked papers. Kalam implies ‘pen’ (or...
Photo Essay: The Last Two Silversmiths of Kashmir
“The Silverwork of Kashmir is extremely beautiful and some of the indigenous patterns, the Chinar and Lotus lea are of exquisite designs.” – Robert Lawrence Roaffe Kaem or silver artistry of Kashmir is a dying art as just a handful of elderly craftsmen are left in the Valley who fear the art will die...
Photo Essay: Eco-friendly handicrafts of Kashmir
Tariq Ahmad Zargar, 55, from Karanagar is the CEO of kashmers.com. He returned to Kashmir after working for a digital marketing company for 30 years in Dubai. As a marketing Guru, Tariq Zargar understands the evolving consumer preferences. He saw an opportunity in Kashmir to showcase Kashmiri handicrafts in a new manner that will resonate...