Chinar Leaves and a Palette

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Within the hallways of a medical school in Dhaka, Bangladesh studied Tabish Aijaz Khan; a medical student who has been enduring her rigorous schedule. However, one too many lockdowns and a few hundred chinar leaves would change her life for months to come.

Tabish Aijaz Khan is a visual artist from Jammu and Kashmir who has gained a large following due to her creativity and stewardship. Tabish is currently a 23-year-old medical student (who is currently studying in Dhaka, Bangladesh). Tabish usually paints on chinar leaves, but she also paints using scraps instead of relying on paper and canvases.

From a young age, Tabish had always been an artistic child. Recalling her past, Tabish mentioned that her preschool teacher inspired her to push herself with her artistic abilities. Thus, she would always sketch or doodle any chance she got, developing her abilities. Nonetheless, Tabish never picked up painting or drawing seriously. To her, it was nothing more of a hobby. It wasn’t until Jammu and Kashmir had been put into lockdown in 2016 due to unrest, did Tabish have to return home from medical school. In doing so, Tabish began to paint again while having to balance her medical studies.

The unrest of the pandemic had finally settled in Jammu and Kashmir, forcing Tabish and her family into lockdown once again. However, Tabish felt the need to paint to relieve her of the stress from the pandemic. Due to the lack of communication and the separation from her studies, as well as the entirety of the pandemic itself, Tabish felt very stressed. Consequently, she began painting. Her paintings, especially when she painted on chinar leaves, (due to their link to the Jammu and Kashmiri environment and are often perceived as an ambassador for the environment of the said region) gained traction from social media, where she’d post her creative works. Tabish mentioned that by painting and receiving positive criticism from others online, she felt at peace even during the pandemic.

Tabish’s family are incredibly supportive of her work and are continuing to be her biggest cheerleaders as she pursues her artistic hobbies. In fact, her father had begun to post her paintings and work online, prior to Tabish herself posting her own work. Even now, her father tends to be the first person to share Tabish’s work online before anyone else.

Over the course of the pandemic, Tabish continued to paint on eggshells, broken mugs, wooden blocks, plates, feather stones, and chinar leaves. In fact, she had created around 250 total paintings on chinar leaves in three months. This accomplishment got Tabish into the Asian book of records for the highest number of paintings completed on chinar leaves.

Since the lockdown in Jammu and Kashmir has been lifted, Tabish has, unfortunately, had less time to spend painting. Nonetheless, she continues to take part in her painting endeavors as much as possible. Through her social media presence, Tabish is continuing to impress a wider audience with her paintings despite her rigorous schedule. She is hoping to simultaneously open an art gallery of her work as she continues with her medical studies, in an attempt to display the charm of Jammu and Kashmiri art to the rest of the world.

Interestingly enough, Tabish claims that her first priority is to become a hard-working doctor who is focused on saving lives. But she won’t forget the dreams linked to her passion, due to the inner peace, (that acts as her remedy to stress) from painting. This belief has brought a great deal of influence to many other young adults within South Asia as a whole, (but especially Jammu and Kashmir,) who feel propelled to move forward with their passion, while also balancing their current career choices.

An influence for the youth of her region, Tabish Aijaz Khan’s development as an artist is unlike any other. Tabish Aijaz Khan is an unparalleled visual artist who is valued for her originality, choice of material, and attitude towards art as a whole. Her intriguing art has led her to become the individualistic artist that Jammu and Kashmir pride themselves on and will never be replaced. Through her work, Tabish has brought sight to a Jammu and Kashmir the world rarely sees, one of vigor and dignity.