A young artist has taken the initiative to introduce some of the iconic leftist leaders to the younger generations through his painting. Khan Ghaffar Khan, 30 – hailing from the northern district of Larkana, in Sindh – uses his art to paint pictures of the characters whose resistance inspired people’s politics.

Many artists in Sindh have made paintings to pay homage to national heroes, but Khan’s work is a little different. He only paints and sketches the leftist leaders.

He has made paintings of Shaheed Nazir Abbasi, a prominent personality in people’s struggle, peasant leader Haider Bakhsh Jatoi, Subho Gyanchandani, and many other leaders. He has also painted portraits of revolutionaries, Fidel Castro and Che Guevara. Besides that, Khan paints to highlight serious societal issues, such as female oppression.

Khan Ghaffar Khan’s paintings have become popular in recent years, with a portrait of Comrade Sobho Gyanchandani painted on the site of Mohenjo-Daro taking the spotlight.

His journey started by painting a portrait of Bhagat Singh’s, the pre-partition revolutionary. Speaking with The News on Sunday (TNS) Khan tells, “five years ago, there was a plan to celebrate the death anniversary of Comrade Shaheed Bhagat Singh. My friends planned to print flex, but it was Friday, and all the shops in Larkana were closed by chance. I had the tools to paint and so it all began.”

Regarding the arts, Khan says that Michelangelo had once said that every block of stone has a statue inside it, and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it. “In the same way, the ability to see the sculpture in an uncut stone is embedded in a sculptor. It may sound a bit cliché, but art has always been in my soul,” says Khan.

“The truth is I do not know when I became this close to art especially, painting. I remember being interested in playing with colours as a child. As Picasso once said, every child is an artist. The problem is to remain that artist once they grow up.”

With no formal education in fine arts, Khan remains committed to his childhood passion. “I always wanted to formally study art and painting, but never had the chance,” the artist says.

“The truth is I do not know when I became this close to art especially, painting. I remember being interested in playing with colours as a child. As Picasso once said, every child is an artist. The problem is to remain that artist once they grow up.”

Khan believes that art is a powerful tool that can be used to highlight social issues. “Observing how people reacted to my portrait of Bhagat Singh inspired me to introduce our local heroes to the younger lot through paintings.”

Khan has not only painted portraits of past leaders but those who are struggling to resist today. These include Baba Jan, a people’s leader from Gilgit-Baltistan, and Seengar Noonari, a labour leader from Naseerabad, Sindh.

Art has helped Khan overcome many challenges, including depression.

“Art is a powerful tool of political and social change. Revolution introduced me to art, and art introduced me to revolution.”

Khan Gaffar Khan is associated with the Awami Workers Party (AWP).

“Through political forums, melodies, theatre, paintings and other means, we have been struggling to create public awareness from small villages to big cities.”

According to Khan, the government and local bodies have neglected art and artists in the northern parts of Sindh. “There is no department of arts in any educational institutions here. Students interested in art have no opportunities to pursue it as a career.

“A few years ago, a department was set up at the Sir Shahnawaz Bhutto Library in Larkana to teach music to students, but it closed down within a few months. The Arts Council of Pakistan, Larkana, also offers training in music, theatre, and other arts, but a limited number of students can study there due to limited resources. Similar training is provided by the Sindhu Vass Foundation in painting, music, dance and other fields.”

Along with this, Rizwan Ali Umrani has set up a gallery in Larkana. Around 7,000 paintings on themes of political and social oppression, women’s issues and other public concerns are displayed there. Prominent personalities of Sindh, including Benazir Bhutto, have paid visits to the gallery.

Khan says there have been a few attempts to popularise art in Larkana but hopes it all changes one day.

The writer is a freelance journalist based in Sindh. His tweets @RehmatTunio