In the narrow, whispering lanes of Zadibal – Srinagar, where walls have long learned the language of color, a boy once stood watching his elders sketch the unseen. Every piece of art stirred his imagination, and every stroke of the brush painted a new dream within him. The smell of paper, the scratch of pencil against grain, the quiet concentration; it awakened something in him. Not ambition. Not rebellion. Something quieter. A calling.
Zadibal has long been known for its lineage of artists, dreamers, and a new art form on every other street. For the people of Zadibal, art isn’t something taught; they breathe it. And for young Iftikhar, art wasn’t discovered; it was remembered like a melody that always hummed quietly inside you. Like the friend next door, you’ve always known.
Iftikhar dreamed of distant skylines of Mumbai, where artists become legends and paintings find their patrons. But fate had different plans. Iftikhar found himself instead in the halls of the Institute of Music and Fine Arts, Jawahar Nagar (Now part of Kashmir University). Under the cool winter light of Kashmir, beneath snow-heavy rooftops and the rustling shades of chinar, he didn’t just study art, he lived it.
Here, Iftikhar Jaffar painted not just his journey onto the canvas of time, but kindled the fire in thousands of aspiring M.F. Husains and Picassos.
This is not the story of a man who chose art.
It is the story of a man who simply could not leave it behind.
Roots and Early Echoes
Before the world could notice him, Iftikhar was a shy and quiet boy witnessing the magic of art unfolding at home. His earliest inspiration wasn’t some renowned teacher but his own elder brother, Muzzafar, whose hands shaped dreams out of pulp and pigment in the delicate craft of paper machie. Those colors, patterns, and patient rituals became Iftikhar’s first classroom.
He would often sit nearby, witnessing the rhythm of creation and learning his way through the rituals of art.
His school years in Srinagar passed in that same gentle companionship with form and color. He wasn’t loud about it. He didn’t need to be. While other students memorized pages, he noticed the way sunlight fell on school walls, the curve of a teacher’s chalk, the poetry in shadows. Somewhere between notebooks and broken brushes, the artist had already taken root.
After school, Iftikhar’s gaze wandered briefly to Mumbai, where he wanted to pursue the art. But it was the gentle counsel of elder artists of Kashmir that turned his steps homeward. In 1981, he joined the Institute of Music and Fine Arts in Jawahar Nagar, Srinagar, enrolling in a five-year course in Applied Art. He graduated in 1986, not just as a student, but as one who had returned to the soil that had long whispered his name.
The Circle of Creation
Iftikhar graduated in 1986, armed not just with a degree in Applied Art, but with a quiet resolve shaped by years of silent observation and steady craft. His first stop was Focus Advertisers, a buzzing ad agency in Srinagar. The deadlines were sharp, the campaigns louder, but something in him didn’t quite echo with the pace.
Art, for Iftikhar, had always been about depth, not dazzle.
By 1988, he found himself drawn back to the very corridors that had shaped him. He returned to the Department of Applied Art at the University of Kashmir, this time not as a student, but as a faculty member. It came full circle, but not to end, only to begin anew, with purpose and poise
Life at Kashmir University
In 1988, just two years after stepping out as a graduate, Iftikhar stepped back in, this time, as an Art Instructor. The same corridors where he once wandered as a quiet student now echoed with his own voice guiding others. What began as a faculty position soon grew into something deeper: a lifelong bond with the Department of Applied Art.
Over the next thirty-six years, Iftikhar served not just as an educator but as a quiet architect of the department’s growth. He shaped classrooms and curricula with the same patience he once reserved for brushwork. Whether mentoring students or taking on administrative roles, he was both anchor and compass, steady, sincere, and quietly revolutionary.
His presence became part of the institution’s rhythm. For generations of students, “Sir” wasn’t just a title, it was a feeling, a memory, a moment when someone believed in their art. And when he finally retired in February 2024, it wasn’t just the end of a career; it was the gentle closing of a chapter that had started long ago in the same halls.
HunarGaah
In February 2024, after serving 36 years at Kashmir University, Iftikhar retired, but instead of stepping away from art, he began a new chapter. He established HunarGaah, a space dedicated to mentoring young artists and showcasing emerging talent.
Located near Alamgari Bazar Chowk, HunarGaah sits quietly on the first floor of a building you reach through narrow lanes. A small staircase leads up to the entrance. Inside, the space opens into multiple rooms, each offering something different.
The main area displays a few paintings and sculptures. As you walk further in, each room features artworks by aspiring artists. From abstract paintings to calligraphy, wooden carvings to stone sculptures. Every piece reflects a journey in progress.
At the very end is a quieter room that displays Iftikhar’s own work. It’s not marked by spotlight or grandeur, but stands as a personal corner in a space meant for others.
HunarGaah today is a vibrant art community where aspiring artists and seasoned professionals come together to learn, grow, and inspire one another. At HunarGaah, they offer hands-on workshops for painting, graphic design, calligraphy, photography, and sculpture.
They are always open for live demonstrations, in-depth workshops, and personalized feedback designed to nurture one’s skills at their own pace.
Brushstrokes of Belief
At the heart of Iftikhar’s work lies a quiet but persistent pursuit of the spiritual. His art often draws from the timeless depth of Sufism, influenced by the poetry of Rumi and the teachings of the mystic saints of Kashmir. For him, painting isn’t just a creative act; it’s a form of meditation, a means to reflect the unseen and the eternal.
He draws artistic inspiration from both East and West. Among Indian artists, Ganesh Pyne’s dreamlike narratives and layered symbolism speak deeply to him. In the European tradition, it is Joan Miró’s bold forms and surreal language that captivate his imagination. From both, he absorbs the courage to explore the intangible and the abstract.
On the fast-evolving world of digital tools and artificial intelligence, Iftikhar holds a measured view. He believes that digitization, when approached mindfully, can open new perspectives and spark creativity in artists. But he’s also wary, in the wrong hands or used without depth, it can dilute the very soul of art and reduce it to a shallow imitation.
For Iftikhar, art must remain rooted in feeling. Tools may change, trends may evolve, but what endures is the intent behind the brush.
A Glimpse into His Canvas
