Chalking it out: Art teacher transforms blackboard into canvas

Local artist and teacher spreads awareness about the importance of polio vaccinations.

PESHAWAR:

A self-proclaimed pioneer in 3D chalk-art, 35-year-old Iqbal Mohsin has been teaching drawing at a government high school in Buner district’s Jowar village for the past decade.

Boasting a loyal fan club amongst his peers, who often admire his work while passing his workshop in Bazargai Market, Mohsin is an inspiration to his young students.

Sixth-grade student Amjid Ali has studied art with Mohsin for three years and credits his love for drawing and painting to his teacher, especially landscapes. “I drew an ocean scene after catching a glimpse of the sea while watching a Pakistan vs West Indies match on TV,” Ali said.

Mohsin uses his influence to raise awareness about issues such as polio vaccination.



Motivated by disturbing developments regarding the controversial polio immunisation campaign in the region, Mohsin has created chalk drawings on school blackboards to illustrate the issue. His work clearly denounces the violence around the campaign and highlights the importance of vaccinating young children.

Mohsin’s journey as an artist began during the early stages of his life. “I learned to draw in my mother’s lap,” he said.

Growing up in a creative household played a significant role in Mohsin’s artistic development. His mother was a well-known seamstress and embroiderer. Like many artists restricted by resources and lack of training, Mohsin took his destiny in his own hands and found various avenues to develop his skills – often using street walls as his medium of expression.

Mohsin smiled while recalling how this would anger neighbours who accused him of dirtying their walls. Ignoring their complaints, he continued to express his art in one way or another.



According to Mohsin, all that was needed to create a piece of art was chalk, a blackboard, a few minutes of his time and two fingers.

It was encouraging when his classmates admired his calligraphy during his school days. He said they would often request that he wrote their names on their note books.

Considered a master of drawing by his close friends, Mohsin’s art is unique in its simple, yet effective medium. His desire to use his art for social and political commentary is not limited to the eradication of polio. The desire for peace rested strongly with him but he fears that people would not appreciate his illustrations to advocate peace unless they portrayed humans.

Here lay his biggest problem.

“I quit drawing the human body in 1998,”Mohsin said. In Grade 6 he would sketch the human form on the blackboard including the face, hands, hair and feet. Years later this would come to an abrupt stop. Mohsin recalled a day that year when he drew a sketch of an eye on the blackboard. That same night he dreamt that the eye was weeping.

“I woke up in great fear and wonder.” According to Mohsin, nobody is born an artist. He believed it was hard work and commitment that lead to success.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 23^rd, 2014.