City artist to beautify Delhi building

LUCKNOW: He will add colour to the Delhi skyline. And his canvas is the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan building. With this project, Mohammad Shakil is a step closer to realising his dream project. He is also happy that he will leave behind a message for mankind.
Thousands of tiny, colourful glass squares, thoughtfully laid out to replicate sketches made by Shakil, will adorn the building."I will make at least 17 murals, of which six will measure around 10 X 50 feet and will be displayed on the walls," says Shakil. His theme revolves around Lord Krishna. He believes that Lord Krishna’s life is a model for all. "There is a lot to learn from the life of Lord Krishna. The concept of karma envelopes all. It is simple. If you won’t work, you won’t get any result," he explains.
Shakil studied the writings of Surdas on the life of Lord Krishna and believes that all actions have a moral. "There is a story where Lord Krishna climbs on his friends to reach a pot of butter. He is called makhan-chor for this, but there is a message. He needs someone to climb up. Similarly, in society, we all need one another’s support," Shakil points out.
Shakil has also made murals for his own city, Lucknow. The Kalindini Van Park flaunts Shakil’s works and once again the theme is Lord Krishna. The Shaheed Smarak Park on Hardoi Road, a project of the UP Housing and Development Board that is still under construction, has four murals by Shakil, based on India’s freedom struggle.
"I have done 25 solo shows and one in San Francisco where 40 of my paintings were displayed," says Shakil. Recognised for his finger paintings, Shakil has sold over 5,000 of them on Lord Ganesha. But his favourite subject is landscapes. "I like painting landscapes that have depth. And women remain an important aspect of any painting," he says.
For Shakil, woman is a religion. He says: "Relationship between man and woman forms the crux of the being and woman is at the centre of all relationships." Painting was never a chosen profession for Shakil, it happened to him by chance. "When I was in class IX, I liked playing with colours. I was an introvert and liked solitude. At times I missed Eid prayers because I did not like the crowd. Slowly I realised that I enjoyed painting the most.
It has been 35 years since Shakil turned towards painting and has not looked back since. "I don’t think I can do anything else now," he remarks.