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Each stroke on the blank canvas that forms the people, the trees in the far back, the buildings over on the left, and the sky in the afternoon, carries its unique charm. Each hue forms shape and texture, colour, and sound for its viewers. The art of Dina Nath Walli defines the art of Jammu and Kashmir just as the paintbrush defines each stroke on the canvas.
Dina Nath Walli (or by his pen name, Almast Kashmiri) was a visual and literary artist based in Jammu and Kashmir. Dina Nath Walli was born in 1908 and grew up in the summer capital of the region, Srinagar. Throughout his childhood and adolescence, he was greatly impacted by the idyllic beauties of Jammu and Kashmir. Especially relating to its natural landscapes, being outside in Jammu and Kashmir helped spark his artistic motivation. Only a paintbrush would bring these visions to life.
A picture of Dina Nath Walli
After attending Amar Singh College while majoring in visual arts, Dina Nath Walli found himself immersed in the world of watercolour and visual arts in general. He left for India, to Kolkata, (West Bengal) to train himself and his artistic abilities further as he began to paint the environment of Jammu and Kashmir, as well as the landscapes using watercolour (sometimes muted) and its various colours.
His work was applauded, so far as to receive a medal from the government of Kashmir and one year later, an award from the Academy of Fine arts in Kolkata. While enjoying his fame, Dina Nath Walli met the notable Percy Brown, a British artist. Together they discussed their art.
Everything began looking up for Dina Nath Walli, he opened up his one-man show to show off his painting works in Srinagar, his native city. He held another show in Mumbai, India, in 1954. Dina continued to spend his time receiving various awards for his great watercolour work while opening shows.
A River Side Temple by Dina Nath Walli
The work of Dina Nath Walli shows the natural environment of Jammu and Kashmir. Through his work, many have been captivated by the charm Jammu and Kashmir have. His work often features important characteristics of Jammu and Kashmir, such as its large orange trees during the autumn, the Gurez boats, the bright clothing found in the cultural clothing of the people, and the vast natural landscapes.
Dina Nath Walli’s work was inspired by various painting techniques and styles, yet his work mainly focused on impressionism (where he used small and thin paintbrush strokes). While keeping his work quite traditional in the watercolour realm, he often studied various styles such as Salvador Dalí’s surrealism and the works of cubism popularized by Pablo Picasso.
Dina Nath Walli has over 74 paintings to his name, 9 shows where all of his artistic work were heavily adored by the public, and was awarded multiple times. After enjoying his time and success as an artist, Dina Nath Walli, unfortunately, passed away in the Indian state of Haryana in 2006. As of now, his work held in various locations from the North Indian city of Chandigarh (Chandigarh Museum), New Delhi (Dhoommal Art Gallery, New Delhi), his home-city Srinagar (Kashmir Govt. Museum, Srinagar), and even in Kuwait (Tariq Raiab Museum, Kuwait)!
Unfortunately, with his expiration, fewer people paid close attention to his work. Walli deserved more attention because of his extraordinary artistic work and endeavours. Nonetheless, he left behind a legacy.
But a paintbrush is never left untouched, a canvas is never completed without meaning and thought, and an extraordinary artist is never forgotten. The works of Dina Nath Walli will forever remain idyllic in nature, and charismatic in character.
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