Art from the Heart: A behind the art conversation with Artist Mustaq Khan Chowdhry
Interview about Art from the heart:
Pranjulaa Singh conducted an interview about Art from the heart, with one of the renowned guest artists Mr. Mustaq Khan Chowdhry. We also have his paintings in our Pranjal arts collection. He was interviewed by us in order to know about his likes, his challenges, and his journey in order to become an honorable artist in today's time and about how his work has impacted and progressed since the past upcoming years.
INTRODUCTION OF MR. MUSTAQ KHAN CHOWDHRY:-
He had persuaded his Masters from Shantiniketan in the year 1988 and the same year he had joined Scindia School Gwalior. He is a renowned artist currently based in Madhya Pradesh. The first exhibition that he witnessed was of Mr. Alkaji Ibrahmin a well-known art collector and a theatre person being the father of theatre from NSD. Mr. Mushtaq Khan Chowdhry was just 22 years old and he had asked to exhibit his work based on paintings to Mr.Alkaji in his art gallery. But he correctly guided him by telling him the right process of channeling the paintings. Mr.Mustaq khan Chowdhry in his good olden days had traveled all the way to Delhi just to experience and witness Mr. Alkaji Ibrahmins art collection exhibition. On meeting Ms. Alkaji Ibrahmin he even showed his art collection to her.
Painting by Mr. Mustaq Khan Chowdhry
Later in the 1990s,
Mr. Mustaq Khan Chowdhry got a show which was very important and prestigious for him. At that point in time, he had gone for a solo exhibition with Ms.Alkaji. During those days Art heritage was considered quite prestigious. He got inspired and influenced as he attended the art exhibition and later on Mr. Mustaq Khan Chowdhry did Eight solo art exhibitions with Ms.Alkaji. Later on, he got sponsored by Calcutta's Shri Marg Aathi Sarkar the honorary member of Anand Publications, Sima Art Gallery, and Right Lane Art Gallery from Bangalore. He even witnessed and portrayed his paintings in various other art workshops based in Bangalore and Mysore. He even exhibited his paintings at Gwalior Art center.
Mr. Mustaq Khan Chowdhry even spoke about his early life; he said that he was born and brought up in a village at Shantiniketan. He got quite influenced by art at an early age but his family was not much inclined towards his liking for art. Many people tried to impact his mind by telling him to change his liking for the field of arts and pursue something different as his career. He overcame all the hurdles and the obstacles that came his way. Getting admission to Shantiniketan was not at all an easy task for him. He was very much determined and dedicated and worked very hard to get admission to the college at age 16.
Mr. Mustaq Khan Chowdhry
Persuasion of his career:-
By the age of 16, he decided to pursue his career as an artist. Once at his early age, he had gone to visit his sister who stayed in Dhaka. While his visit to Dhaka he met a well-known artist, Mr. Ajmal, from Dhaka university from then he decided that he wanted to become a well-known famous artist. Mr.Ajmal truly impacted his mind. He looked up to Mr.Ajmal and got inspired by him day by day. And so he began with his career as an artist.
Mr. Mustaq khan Chowdhry's second option to pursue his career was gardening and agriculture as he belonged to a farmer family he did not become a well-known artist. At present, he works as an art professor at Scindia School and does a full-time job. As well as he continued to practice independent Art side by side. He used to work along and focus his mind and give justice to whatever he used to do. He used to take classes at Scindia School after the class he used to practice and devote his time to independent art. He got more inspired and more energy to work on his first show as it was an art hit. He had met many artists as well such as Mr. Shuklaji being one of the most renowned artists in India and a well-known art historian. Mr. Mustaq Khan Chowdhry has spent 42 years shaping his career in becoming an artist.
DETERMINED TOWARDS HIS PASSION OF BECOMING AN ARTIST:-
Mr. Mustaq khan Chowdhry loves working at Scindia School and to date, he has not left this job as he enjoys teaching at Scindia School even though many universities approached him to teach within their faculty he refused to teach in the universities. Mr. Mustaq Khan has a very simple theory that he follows. He loves nature, he enjoys a quiet place and less crowded and Scindia School offers him this kind of surrounding. He loves teaching children as well. Scindia school was an ideal place for him since he always wanted a pollution-free place with no discharge or distraction. With lots of trees, lots of birds, and wild animals thats how he described Scindia school- perfect and an ideal place for artists.
Pranjal Arts collection had also portrayed Mr. Mustaq Khan Chowdhry's work 10 years back. Mr. Mustaq khan Chowdhry has given us a clear approach that the life of the artists is not very secure in India. Those who come from wealthy families can afford everything and become great artists in life ahead well but those who come from a poor background really have to stay determined and focus on becoming one famous artist. At the same point in time for poor background artists, a job is also required in order to sustain your livelihood.
Mr. Mustaq Khan Chowdhry started working at Shantiniketan at dev Pranav gowas then he joined Scindia school he started painting on canvas acrylic which was a modern medium at that time. He even started doing small paintings on paper he tried to develop his own style. He began working on disc media painting which most of the art galleries liked and accepted. Most of his painting work has been exhibited in Kolkata. Ms. Rakhi Sarkar has taken most of his painting work and a large collection of work brought from Alkaji. There's even an Alkaji Art foundation in Greater Kailash. Besides Alkaji Art foundation Mr. Mustang Khan Chowdhury has portrayed one or two pieces of artwork at the National Gallery of Modern Art. He is also inspired by one of the international artist Paul Kleen a german artist has worked for small paintings towards the type of bright and abstract. And he even loves the work of Pablo Piccaso.
Mr. Mustaq Khan Chowdhury works on emotional symbolic and figurative paintings. K.G Subhramnayam, his mentor had told him that he has to create an interest among the common people through art. According to Mr. Chowdhury, ‘Art has to be expressed. Art aesthetics has to be explained to people. Especially in wood paintings the tone variation texture and the differences one can observe and see. Arts and cultural heritage also deserve to be promoted all around the world. Western and Indian art culture is also equally important in today's time.’
Watch the whole interview here: