A beholder of beauty

Childhood passions die hard. The proof of this statement is Anjum Khan. Her artwork is precise to the last drop of paint and it would not be an exaggeration to call her a born artist. From sketches to paintings, she has always been passionate about art.

“I was always interested in art and painting as a child. This interest helped me learn more. I am not a trained artist but I learnt from YouTube and online blogs. I believe that there is something to learn from everywhere. I also believe that there is something to learn from everyone,” says Anjum.

A magnificent painter, she says everything that she is attracted to inspires her to paint. “I came to realise that my source of inspiration changes with time. I have been inspired by beauty but as time passed, my interpretation of beauty changed and I began to look at things that are beautiful from more than a conventional point of view.” Having magical hands in sketching and painting, her artworks are mostly that of androgenous faces. They are not completely abstract nor are they completely based on reality.  “My art is abstract but not completely. Most of my paintings have androgenous faces that have a prominent feminine side, but I have made a few others. One close look at them and you can say with confidence that it is a woman,” she says. 

Having fine strokes and colours, her paintings have a lot of detailing. They also have a strong depicture of emotions in them. The hair, eyes, lips and expressions all arouse different emotions and evoke a sense of longing in a viewer. “I am a fan of the classics. I do not follow just one artist all the time. I discover new artists and follow the ones that grab my attention,” she says. Having played with digital and graphic art for quite sometime, she says, “I prefer using water-colour medium, but I often work with mixed media.”

An impassioned artist, she spends two to three hours on a single painting. “Sometimes it might take a few days. If the painting is hyper-realistic and requires a lot of detail, then I take a few months,” she says.
She, who has been doing portrait paintings, now wants to experiment with a new genre of art. Hailing from Kashmir, she now plans to capture its beauty in her art. “Right now, I am commissioned on a series about Kashmir. This series is my favourite. For the first time, I am working on something that is personal on a macro level. I am representing Kashmir as much more than just a violent state or for its scenic beauty; there is a sense of normalcy that people aren’t willing to see and that’s what I want to record,” she says.

Her artistic hands that are usually busy painting, also take to sketching once in a while when she doesn’t have the time or the means to paint. Her sketches too are perfect with sharp strokes and detailed picturisation. She has a book full of sketches that she has made during her class hours and during her free time. “Art helps me express my feelings in more ways than words can tell. It is not like it sustains me during my dark times, as art during these times looks more melancholic. That kind of art would definitely not give me relief from whatever I am going through. Art to me is a means of expression,”  she wraps up.