Ghazali Moinuddin’s painting traces the election process in his artistic stroke. By Ankita Jain
Just as the written word, photographs, cartoons and caricature document election, so too do paintings. One of Ghazali Moinuddin’s masterpieces is testimony to this. It portrays the election tussle between parties amongst various states in the landscape genre. “My painting summaries the zeal of elections which is celebrated as a festival in the country through the use of elements like kite which represents various political parties and tri-colour in the background which represents India. It appropriately depicts aspirations, hopes, vision, aggression, opportunism, competition and power,” explains Ghazali, who has specially crafted the art work, for the ongoing elections.
“I have always desired to do something for voter awareness since I see that, nowadays, the youth tend to be more interested in cricket and entertainment rather than in politics. With my art I want to show the power of the vote: every citizen, during elections, is a star for one day and it is only through participation that things can be changed,” he says.
Kun faya Kun, his solo art show will display 45 of his new works along with some of his old paintings. “Kun faya kun is an Arabic word and also a Quranic verse referred five times in Quran. It is referred to symbolise God’s creative power. It is about God’s will and absolute control over every creation. Even my paintings are entirely about my imagination and it merged well with the word,” says Ghazali.
“Since I do not approve of the use of violence, I wondered how I could raise my voice. Election just captured my imagination and I filled it on my canvas,” he elaborates.
Besides, his other art works capture the many moods of a misty landscape. “I don’t travel to hill stations much, but all my other paintings displayed at the exhibition are of the exalted mountains, valleys and waterfalls. I am pleasantly surprised when people come up to me and begin comparing the elements of my paintings with some of the places they have visited. My only reaction is, maybe, because I haven’t travelled to those places ever,” he smiles. Ghazali, a professor of Fine Arts at Jamia Millia Islamia, a believer of “self satisfaction” which would distinguish an artist from a commercial artist, says, “An artist works for his own satisfaction, whereas a commercial artist works for his client’s satisfaction.”
Though his art works are purely based on imagination, few of them are inspired from his travel diaries as well. “When I went to Ooty, and also other places, I saw many interesting things in nature, and I thought, those could be expressed with a lot of freedom,” says the artist. His tryst with colours began during his school days. “From my childhood, my teachers were convinced about my unconditional interest in painting.”
His style of painting could be called unique. They are done with his adept fingers and a tube of paint. “I have used only acrylic tube colours in all my paintings, giving bold strokes, but no definite shapes.”
“I can’t even duplicate my own painting, because the mood and the way your hand proceeds on the canvas, cannot happen the second time. Since there is no definite shape that I give to my paintings, the minute details become noticeable only when looked at, carefully, and from a certain distance,” he adds.
Often, the artist has to have that eye to see things differently. “I believe someone who can depict old things in a completely new and different way, and doesn’t need a reference photograph for the same, is a real artist.
When the only thing you have is your majestic imagination, and have no other source to introduce, is when an artist’s talent becomes evident,” he quips.