Jamia’s ‘obscure’ department of fine arts

- August 30, 2022
| By : Mohd Shehwaaz Khan |

Founded in 1951 as Art Institute by Abul Kalam, the department ‘was envisaged as an integral part of the life for the post-independent citizens of the country.’

A front view of the Department of Fine Arts in Jamia Milia Islamia University. (All photos: Mohd Shehwaaz Khan)

The department of ‘Fine Arts’ in colleges is a place of fascination for students and visitors alike. It is where creativity mingles with action, filling these spaces with an aura of artistic aspirations. One can witness beautiful paintings on the walls, sculptures that evoke multiple emotions, and artefacts.

In Jamia Millia Islamia, the Faculty of Fine Arts is considered as an ‘obscure’ and ‘unexplored’ place. It has everything artsy in it: sculptures, statues, artefacts made of iron and steel, paintings and graffitis.

Founded in 1951 as Art Institute by Abul Kalam, the department ‘was envisaged as an integral part of the life for the post-independent citizens of the country.’ The faculty stresses upon the individuality of expressions through knowledge of Indian and Western art traditions.

It has a number of departments related to Fine Arts, namely, Department of Applied Art, Department of Painting, Department of Sculpture, Department of Art Education, Department of Art History and Art Appreciation, and Department of Graphic Art.

Besides, it offers both graduate and post-graduate programs, including India’s first and only post-graduate program in Art Education. There are more than 450 students ‘greeted with an environment that reflects the openness and diversity of contemporary art and culture.’

The department has sculptures of prominent personalities like Rabindranath Nagore, APJ Abdul Kalam, Buddha, and Albert Einstein

There are sculptures of diverse emotions such as fear, grief, and longing.

One of them depict the evil inside of us

There are mannequins and other artefacts lying around as waste

The walls of the toilet are filled with graffitis

Some of the walls are painted with beautiful patterns

There are structure made of iron and some of them looks apocalyptic

There are sculptures of women made of different mediums

And of course, there is the thinking man

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