Maqbool Jan, an artist from Srinagar’s Lal Bazar area, has dedicated his life to perfecting the art of papier-mache. Over the years, he has won several State, National, and International Awards, including the prestigious UNESCO Seal of Excellence for Handicrafts in 2007-2008.

From Mughal Mohalla in Lal Bazar, Srinagar, he was forced to learn the craft after his father’s untimely death, but it soon became a way of life for him and his family. “Our whole family is associated with this art, and we have been earning our livelihood very well,” he said. “Besides that, I have taught dozens of people who too are taking art pieces to their own level.”

Mohammad Maqbool Jan has been in the paper mache art for around twenty years and is resolved to take his profession to new heights.  Latest addition to his breathtaking work is map of Srinagar city on  fabric by using paper mache art, which took him nearly two years to complete.