Why Kashmiri artist Azim Hassan paints home, memory and loss from China
Kashmiri artist Azim Hassan, currently based in China, uses his painting to process themes of memory, loss, and the changing landscape of his home in Anantnag. His work captures the tension between traditional Kashmiri architecture and the encroaching modernization of the region.
Why it matters
The article highlights how diaspora artists use creative expression to document cultural erasure and political shifts in their homelands.
“Many of my paintings feature solitary figures looking at vast landscapes, reflecting on change and uncertainty,” says 41-year-old Kashmiri artist Azim Hassan. “I try to paint erasure. I try to paint such emotional realities.”
Time spent in Hangzhou, and now in Foshan in nearby Guangdong province, China, has given him a more nuanced perspective on his native Anantnag. Its panoramic landscapes are now patrolled by soldiers, and older buildings are gradually giving way to trendy restaurants, yet parts of the region seem suspended in time.
A panoramic view of Anantnag in Kashmir. | Photo Credit: Amjad Majid
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