PESHAWAR: Veteran wax artist Riaz Ahmad has expressed concern over fast dying of 500-year-old Mughal-era wax art, and called for urgent steps for its preservation.

He regretted that the authorities’ apathy towards safeguarding this heritage would lead to its complete extinction.

Talking to Dawn, Mr Ahmad, a resident of Peshawar city, said wax art had been in his family for sixth generations, and that he was the last one to have known the basics of this unique artwork.

“I could transfer the art of wax only to my elder son, Fayaz Ahmad, as my other four sons and three daughters have chosen to pursue other careers. Also I had trained two young girls, but unfortunately, they too couldn’t continue after marriage,” he regretted.

The 72-year-old said he had learnt the wax artfrom his father when he was 10. “I did not take up any government job and instead decided to carry on the legacy of this rare art his family had inherited since Mughal-era.”

Riaz Ahmad says art pieces have great demand locally, internationally

Mr Ahmad said early Mughal rulers had brought the wax art from central Asian states, where his ancestors had added local patterns in Chinese style to the wax art with ‘Peacock’ being the main motif in the Mughal courts.

Riaz Ahmad is the recipient of numerous certificates and awards, including Tamgha-i- Imtiaz in 2012, and ‘Seal of Excellence’ award from Indian government in recognition of his creative artwork.

“I have represented Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in all the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation countries, and so far participated in around 1,500 national and international exhibitions. “I take several hours to complete a single art piece,” he said, adding he was part of the provincial government’s preservation project of old arts, but the initiative was abandoned due to lack of funds.

The veteran artist said he sold one art piece for Rs1, 500 to Rs2, 000 locally, which could fetch more than that in international market. “If properly marketed with official patronage, wax art pieces would bring both dollars and laurels to the country,” he said, claiming he was the lone inheritor of the unique art.

‘Wax art could be done on cotton and silk cloth with natural colours in myriad of mosaics and inlays of different animals – camels, elephants and birds.” However, he said most people placed orders for picture frame, tablecloth, wall hangers, handkerchiefs, handbags and several handicrafts.

“If a workshop is arranged for young girl students on the university campuses, especially for the fine arts departments, I would gladly teach basic techniques of wax art to them as there is rising demand of this art in international market,” he assured.

Published in Dawn, May 8th, 2023