Veer Munshi (b. 1955)
Jyoti Bhatt’s residence, Vadodara, 2009
Veer Munshi was born in 1955 in Srinagar, Kashmir and did his BA from Kashmir University, and a BFA in painting from the M S University, Baroda.
Munshi was forced to migrate to Delhi in 1990 and this fear and anguish of Kashmir is depicted boldly in its true colours in his work. He released his anger and tension through his artwork and showcased the bitter nostalgia of him being an “outsider insider”. He has also tried to bring the art of papier-mâché into his work, to make it more interesting and Kashmir-centric. He works in oils and sometimes sketches in charcoal. Munshi’s art is influenced by his extensive travels; in countries like Cambodia, China, Egypt, Greece, Kenya, etc.
The artist has held several solo exhibitions throughout his career, including ‘Kashmir: insider outsider’ Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai (2015), ‘Shrapnel 3’, Gallery Latitude 28, New Delhi (2012), ‘Shrapnel’ curated by Ranjit Hoskote at BNG foundation Mumbai (2009). His works are a part of private and public collections, including the Smart Museum of Art, Chicago, National Gallery of Modern Art and Culture, New Delhi, B&G Foundation at Popular Prakashan Publication, Mumbai. He lives and works in Delhi/ Gurgaon.