India: Handicraft department provides platform to Kashmir’s art and craft, promotes artists

To provide a platform to the local artists of Jammu and Kashmir, the handicraft department is organising exhibitions in Srinagar's Heritage Government Arts Emporium building.An art exhibition by local artist Deepa Soni was thrown open to the public. The artist says her exhibition depicts Kashmir valley in a positive way.

Deepa Soni, a visual artist hails from the Udhampur area of the Jammu region and has been living in Srinagar for some time. She has captured the essence of Kashmir's natural beauty along with the arts and crafts of the region. Soni has put out various types of paintings wherein oil colours, watercolours, fusion, three-dimensional and other paintings are on displayin the exhibition. She says the platformsprovided by the handicraft department are an encouragement for the artists in the Union Territory.

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''As you can see, my paintings depictKashmir in a very positive way. The beauty and the colours and all positive vibes around. This whole show is organised by the handicraft department and the tourism department also helped. They want to support the upcoming artists. Our art and culture is so rich, we have so many art forms and we should promote them for sure. We want to make sure the art forms are more attractive, and some fusion workcan be done to attract more and more young people,'' said Soni.

The exhibition will continue for three days. The department of handicraft has received a huge number of requests from local artists to provide them space to display theirart and craft. The department of handicrafts now plans to continue organising these exhibitions to promote artists and the craft of the valley.

''We have been approached by a lot of artists to help promote theirart and craft. The arts emporium is a heritageart building and we have kept a hall specially for art displays, we did an exhibition two weeks ago where we showcased the last artisan involved in glazed pottery in Kashmir.Then we got a lot of requests by people who want to display theirart and we are carrying it forward.I am extremely happy that more and more people are approaching us and want to showcase theirtalent and we are welcoming them. You will see these exhibitions often now. It will promote the craft space of the valley,'' said Mehmood Shah, Director of Handicrafts.

The local youth of the valley were happy that such exhibitions are being held in Srinagar city and witness the variousart forms of the Kashmir region which they know little about.

''The exhibition is wonderful and the take on Kashmir is great, the intricacy of Kashmiri art is portrayedthrough paintings. It's a 360-degree experience in the exhibition. Initiativeslike these will help people to go back to art and it's a wonderful thing,'' said Nikita.

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