Breathing life into art
Mohammed Yasin talks about how he doesn’t let his age get in the way of art
It’s not often that you find a calling that you’re passionate about well into your golden years. And 88year-old Mohammed Yasin’s painting is not just a calling for him — it’s his life. The artist, who was born in Hyderabad but spent most his life teaching art at schools and universities in Delhi, is currently having some of his life’s work on display at the Ailamma Art Gallery. Yasin explains that most of his work is observational. “Once I was travelling from college to my home, when I came across a wedding procession with the groom, musicians, people dancing and more. And so I painted that, and it eventually was sent to the Lalit Kala Akademi, and added onto the collection for the Andhra Pradesh float for the 1959 Republic Day parade in Delhi,” Yasin says. That painting also got him an award from the Akademi, making him one of the first and youngest to do so. With the help of scholarships, Yasin managed to travel across the world to learn about art, getting schooled in New York about the art of printmaking, lithography and more. After working for many years as a professor in Delhi, he returned to Hyderabad in the late 80s, to take on art full time. “I’ve never depended on my paintings for income, because I’ve always had a job,” Yasin says, and adds, “I retired, my son suggested I started painting more often. I had my colours, my easel and a steady hand. What more did I need?”
I had my colours, my easel and a steady hand. What more did I need? — MOHAMMED YASIN