He did not follow the conventional career lines and opted for a field where he felt he could excel. Ibrahim Wani profiles a kashmiri who is excelling in design and art.
Wajahat Husain is a painter and a textile designer. He also the distinction of being only the second Kashmiri to make it to the prestigious NID, National Institute of Design. Today Wajahat is working as an Assistant Professor in textile management at NIIFT, Mohali, Chandigarh.
Hailing from Anantnag, Wajahat did his schooling from Jawahar Navoday Vidalaya in Ashmukam. After completing his 10 +2 he moved out from the valley to study Fine arts at Institute of Music and Fine Arts, Jammu University, where his main focus was painting.
“Painting was a always a passion for me and I decided to pursue it as a career”, says Wajahat. But the choice was not easy. He had to face stiff resistance from his family. “Most of the people in Kashmir consider MBBS and Engineering as noble professions and push their wards for these two options and any other profession as such is regarded secondary and initially my family was no different”.
Slowly his parents understood his craving for art and design and supported him through thick and thin. However he had problems with other people “who without understanding my capabilities and intuition would ask why I did not opt for engineering or medicine”.
After completing his graduation Wajahat did his masters in textile design from NID. National Institute of design (NID) Ahmedabad is an autonomous national institution for education, training, research and service in industrial design and visual communication. NID is among the foremost Institutions of design not only in India but in the world, and has emerged as a catalyst for Indian industry and commerce.
NID follows a stringent, multi tier admission test system where the students seeking admission are assessed at every level. “My selection to NID was a dream come true. I had to undergo one aptitude test, which happened in Delhi and when I got through that phase I had to appear in a studio test followed by an interview, which happens in NID itself. I had done no coaching and was a little nervous initially”.
Wajahat is of special praise for his teacher at Jammu Mr. Rajender Tiku, a well-known sculptor. “He guided me by teaching me writing skills and other pre-requisites for the entrance in NID. I admire his passionate belief in the capabilities of his students. “Wajahat has done several projects in the field of craft. He says, “Kashmir has a rich and splendid craft base for design. Innovating the craft sector and creating need based designs will help the state in creating both employment and promote tourism. Innovation is a fundamental aspect of Design. Without it the crafts would lack in contemporarity. Government needs to take initiatives to secure the recipe of the state”.
“Most of the people have this typical stereotype of an artist in mind, who wears a kurta, grows a long beard and carries a Jhola on shoulders. Today’s contemporary artists have broken the ice and they are smart like any other corporate businessman, carry laptops, have personal assistants and carry themselves with style”, says Wajahat who believes that this situation needs to change.
Commenting about the avenues provided by this field he say, “Design adds value and contributes to quality of life. Designers are in high demand in manufacturing, service and various experienced design media. Freelance designers and consultants earn a handsome living.
Wajahat feels that the state needs an institute of design comparable with NIFT or NID. “Although there are institutes like CDI who are promoting education by different programmes and initiatives, there is a clear need for Design and fine art education in the state”. He feels that the students need proper counseling and support from both parents and as well as the Government.
Wajahat did not follow the conventional career lines and opted for a field where he felt he could excel. He feels that the young should go with their mind and come out of the crowd mentality. He has only one advice for Kashmiri youth, “Take challenges to explore your talent at length. Develop your competency level to reach out to your cherished dreams and once you start following your aims you will surely taste success”.
