Kashmir Art Festival in Rawalpindi

A three-day Kashmir Art Festival from November 28-30 will be held at the Rawalpindi Art Council (RAC). RAC has collected works from artisans of Srinagar and other cities of Indian-held Kashmir who have settled in Pakistan for the last 50 years. Their traditional artwork will be on display.

The artwork includes papier mache, Kashmiri embroidery, shawls, frames and paintings. The origins of papier mache work in the region are said to be 600 years old. Layers and layers of paper are molded into shapes and designs, then painted and lacquered (shown in the photograph). The artisans hope that their talents will be promoted world-wide and generate tourism to Kashmir.

Martina Nicolls is the author of "Kashmir on a Knife-Edge"

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