THROUGH MY JOURNEY TO REDISCOVER THE ARTIST, MY FATHER, LATE MOHAN RAINA.

Last week I had long hearty
conversations with Indore(M.P)
based artist from Kashmir,
Sh.A.K.Raina( Autar Krishen Raina)
He has been experimenting with
different mediums of painting
and has evolved as an accomplished
artist by creating a niche for himself.

During our conversation, Mr.Raina
told me ;
" I knew your father, Mohan Raina
Sahab very well. Although it has
been ages but his memories are
very fresh in my mind. I met Raina
Sahab in seventies during an
Industrial exhibition. Raina Sahab
was quite elder and senior to me.
I must've been in thirties then.
Now, I have grown old. I am 78.
but I have not given up painting.
I will tell you an anecdote:
During exhibition time it was very
important to be in touch with your
Dad. He would be on the panel of
almost all Government committees
and his opinion was sought on
all activities related to art and
exhibitions.
I was working in an open area along
roadside. I had to make a hoarding/
mural for my stall.
I collected all discarded scrap which
was lying scattered nearby.Those
days adhesive " Fevicol "brand had
just been introduced in the market.
I fixed up all the scrap with fevicol
and did the desired mural .
Coincidentally your dad was
watching all this through his cabin.
He used to have a permanent cabin
during the exhibitions. He came
out, complimented me and very
warmly hugged me. I was surprised
because I had a false impression
that he doesn't like this modern
and abstract. False, because later
I came to know that he has studied
modern and contemporary art in
The United States when he had
gone there on educational cum
vocational tour in 1966.
I asked your dad, mahara (sir) what
I have done is abstract and you do
not like it then why have you
complimented me ? He replied
Yaar, I like and do modern painting.
I don't like that class of artists
who think that smudging of paint
on canvas is modern. They don't
know anything else except that.
They themselves do not know
what they've made. Such (not all)
artists bewilder and confuse the beholder.
In your case there was a thought,
an idea. You knew what you were
doing. Thoughtless smudging of
paint is no art .
From then on I was very friendly
with him. Your dad really treated
me like his own son. I would daily
sit with him for gup shup ( chitchat)
in his cabin. I have as many
memories as you can write ,but
unfortunately none of his works.
Raina Sahab was a very versatile
artist par excellence.Not only me
but anyone connected with art
and painting will tell you that he
was not stuck with just one school
or genre. From monograms, logos,
emblems to murals ; from water
colour to oil ; from landscapes to
abstract, you name it, he has done
it with a mastery. These days
digitisation has benefited people
from all walks and professions and
artists are no exception. Look at
the lines, the figurative work, the
portraits done by your father !!
Now a days portraits are made
with the digital help , I bet . Those
days there was no such thing. The
portraits made by your dad are
masterpieces. They speak to the
beholder.
Mohan Raina was a charming and
charismatic personality, always
well dressed and fond of smoking
pipe. He was soft spoken, decent
person with an affable demeanour.
He would help all deserving people
without any bias. He offered me
some assignments. His assistants,
Mehraj Ud Din and Keetan Dev
benefitted a lot under his guidance.

Unfortunately his life was cut short
by fate. Had he lived his full life, he
would have enriched the world of
art with his creative genius.

It is unfortunate that his entire
lifetime treasure is lost due to
terrorism in the valley. I tell you
Sudesh ji, I had built a dream
home in Harwan, Kashmir,after
shifting my residence from Karan
Nagar. When militancy erupted
people left with whatever precious
they could lay their hands on.
I came out with bare minimum
baggage and a few months old
Labrador pup in my lap. One
colonel in the Indian army had
given me this white puppy in
return for teaching his daughter.
It remained my loyal and faithful
for more than sixteen years.

All my books and paintings about
five hundred in number, I lost to
terrorism.

I have some health problems and
I'm not as busy as I used to be.
Last exhibition was in Delhi and
it was quite a success. I came
out from my home under duress
without anything on me. Now,
I have name, fame and money,
though due to age and health
problem the pace of work has
slowed down. I have to take
injections in my retina due to
some problem in my vision. We
are too far away from eachother
and meetings are not possible.
As and when I visit Jammu in
near future, we shall meet and
talk at length."

Sh.A.K.Raina has retired from
School Of Designs, Srinagar.
He was a pioneer in promoting
art amongst youngesters. In
Srinagar he established a youth
Welfare Wing and organised
many painting competitions.
A prolific and master painter, his
paintings adorn many homes in
India and abroad.

He has also remained secretary of "Kashmir Artists Guild"for many
years.
He is permanently settled in Indore.

I wish Mr.A.K.Raina a long, healthy
life full of creative activities !!!

( Sudesh Raina )