Friday, March 29
09:13 AM

Going around in circles

17 Jun 2020

For S M Nizam Uddin, a class 10 student of Indian School Sur, the uncertain prospects of a crucial year ahead has left him in quite a tizzy. Yet, this budding ‘Mandala’ artist has been filling up all his leisure moments with creations that go round and round but, suprisingly, do not leave him in a spin.

Mandala art comprises a geometric confluence of symbols, created on a base of a circle, with a deep spiritual connotation and, often, representing the entire cosmos. As for Nizam, he got fascinated with it at an early age and, ever since, he has been experimenting with creation of varied patterns with varied media, all of which give him a unique sense of satisfaction.

“With our current reality of lockdowns, social distancing and quarantines, most of us have been stuck at home now for weeks and months. I, too, have been away from my school for a few weeks, but soon got busy with online classes,” says Nizam who, like scores of students on the verge of High School graduation, is disillusioned about his immediate future. However, despite a tight schedule with online classes, homework and other tasks, he has been finding time to nurture his passion for this art form.

“Being an artist isn’t just about putting pencil to paper, or brush to canvas. It is so much more than that. Art may be a way to explore your world or your imagination. Art may inspire beginners to take steps into learning a new medium or accomplished artists to experiment with new techniques,” he says, philosophically adding, “Art is teaching. Art is learning. Art can be exciting, empowering, and an expression of a combination of emotions.”

Admitting that students do not get much time to pursue creativity these days, Nizam, however, said the lockdown has brought in extra time for everyone that must be used in the best possible manner. “I am spending the lockdown period by living out my dreams – sketching, colouring, and creating new and exciting artworks. It’s the best way to vent out suppressed emotions and I am enjoying what others call ‘boredom’ by making the most of the time at hand.”

During this period, Nizam has created around 10 artworks of ‘colour blending Mandala art’, besides crafts using different materials, like paper flowers, spoon flowers, flower pots, pot designs and modern furniture with cardboard, as well as clay moulding, sketching and designing greeting cards.

“I can proudly say, without any training I have explored many new areas of art and found myself successfully picking them up. My dream is to become a renowned artist and to train passionate youngsters in this field,” he says.

 

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