Islamabad:
Unmindful of the many glances that come his way, a young sculptor at an arts complex in the Pakistani capital continues to do what he is best at carve idols of gods and goddesses in the Gandhara tradition.
Zahid Hussain, a rare proponent of the ancient Gandhara art, learnt the art of making idols a dozen years ago. He is one of four Pakistanis who was taught this art and continues to make a living by selling his intricately carved pots, plates and idols of Buddha.
Hussain retails his wares at Lok Virsa, a heritage village akin to New Delhi's Dilli Haat. He carves on Schist stone, which he sources from the Swat valley that was recently retaken from the Taliban after a prolonged anti-militancy campaign.
"The stone is available in three shades green, gray and black. It's not easy to carve on stone. Even little details take up an entire day," Hussain told PTI.
Hussain sits in his shop, with his many Buddhas and other gods and goddesses forming an interesting backdrop in a country where idolatry is frowned upon by many.
"I get the stone cut and set in the quarry and then I start work on minute details. It's a tedious process," he said.
Not surprisingly, a little box embellished with the intricate flourishes of Gandhara art costs up to Rs 1,000. The bigger ones can cost up to Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000. A small Buddha bust costs about the same. The idols are priced at Rs 5,000 and upwards.
The going has been a little easy for Hussain as his clients are mostly foreigners who love his Buddhas and other idols. "It's mostly the foreigners who buy the idols. They love Gandhara art," he said.
There are, however, hardly any takers from amongst the locals. "Very rarely, I get a Pakistani customer who takes interest in the idols," he said.
Yet there is no dearth of people who raise an eyebrow at his art. "Sometimes they try and argue with me that this is against Islam. It is difficult to convince them that practising this art is not against the spirit of Islam," he said.
Apart from idols, Hussain makes stone boxes, pots, vases and wall hangings. Noting that his teacher had travelled to many countries with his creations, Hussain said he hoped to showcase his work in India sometime in the future.
"It would be good if we could travel to India and artists from there could come here as Gandhara art is part of our common heritage," he said.