NEW DELHI: Shafia Shafi had only recently launched her online business when frequent internet shutdowns imposed by Indian authorities after the withdrawal of Kashmir’s autonomy brought it to a halt. Like many other young entrepreneurs, she struggled for 17 months until high-speed connections were finally restored in February 2021. And then it all boomed.
An Artist’s Rise
Saba Gul
met an artist who broke the news of her hobby to her parents only after her creativity had been recognised. She is now a full-time artist
When the lockdown restricted Shafia to her home, he decided to convert the walls into her canvas. KL Image: Special Arrangement
In Srinagar’s Lal Bazar lies the abode of a young self-taught artist whose room is cluttered with acrylics, watercolours, palettes, brushes and paintings. She has reduced her universe to the room where she remains busy drawing and painting.
Eldest to her siblings, Shafia Shafi, 25, started by drawing illustrations. “It was my hobby and I used to express myself through sketches and paintings,” said Shafia, a private and a reserved person. “It was a medium for me to pour out my pent-up emotions.”