Conjuring magic from the stones- The only mosaic artist from J&K creates unique pieces with stones picked up from trekking routes
The lone mosaic artist of the valley, Manzoor Ahmad Bhat has acquired unique skills of creating mosaic art stone panels, their designs are inspired from various Indian miniature paintings.
With every stone or rock he collects from trekking routes in the mountains of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, Manzooz Ahmad Bhat is meticulously carving out a space for himself in the world of mosaic art.
The stones are collected from trekking routes in Gangbal, Tarsar, Marsar, Gaddar, Vishnusar, and Sonamarg (in Ganderbal), and mostly from Ladakh.
According to him, acquiring the right stones is difficult, he said, adding it takes a lot of time to find them.
Explaining the process of his art, Bhat said the stones he uses are the ones that can be crushed but are not so soft.After collection, the stones are crushed, graphs drawn on plywood and then the crushed stones are converted to painting.
Many people approached me to learn this art. But it requires patience and so, many of them walked away,” he said.
He wants to showcase his art at the international and national levels and wants to reach out to people who have an eye for it. The Department of Handicrafts, Kashmir, has helped him to showcase his artwork in a recent international craft exhibition.
Bhat said he met with the Director of Handicrafts and Handloom Mehmood Ahmed Shah, who was inspired by his work.
