Karkala (Udupi District), KARNATAKA / Doha , QATAR :
Udupi:
A Non-Resident Indian student, Wafa Sultana 23 from Karkala and currently staying in Doha to pursue her Master’s in Gulf Studies at Qatar University, got international recognition for her artwork on Palestine.
She won because her work best represented Palestinian culture and heritage. Every detail represents something about its people and culture.
Wafa told STOI: “The Palestine American Cultural Centre (PAAC) promotes cultural and humanitarian programmes which highlight the rich heritage of Palestine. They organised a poster-making competition, inviting people to create art that promotes Palestinian people and culture. During my trip to Texas, I met a few Palestinian students who studied in universities there and they told me about the competition. I consider myself a global citizen and this inspired me to do this artwork. I believe in learning more about people and cultures across the world. The more you learn about another’s culture , the more you learn to respect them.”
“I only knew Palestine as a state going through a tough phase. But this competition led me to look beyond the politics. To do artwork reflecting their culture, I had to know more about their food, language, religion, literature, music, clothing, etc. Fellaheen or a village woman wearing the traditional Palestinian dress with unique embroidery work with a white, flowing veil is exquisite,” she said.
“For me, this was not only an informative experience but also shattered many faulty generalizations and stereotypes. I learned the more you travel or read, the more you begin to celebrate diversity and realize you’re part of a big, world family. My artwork comprises a Palestinian man doing a ‘dabke’ move with a tambourine. There are musical instruments like the Kamanjah, Oud and Derbekkeh on my painting. I also drew a ‘Dallah’, a traditional Arab coffee pot and there’s the Palestinian flag in the background,” she added.
She wants to work towards peace and communal harmony by spreading the message of secularism, pluralism and beauty of diversity through her artwork. “I want the Indian civil society to rise above divisive politics of hate and religion and work towards national progress, fighting against our common enemies of poverty and corruption,” she said.
Wafa is the second daughter of Mohiddin and Humara of Karkala taluk. She did her PU at St Aloysius College and LLB at SDM, Mangaluru. She stopped her studies during fourth year of the law course as she was married to Shaik Afzal, a chemical engineer. After marriage, he went to the US for his doctoral studies. Wafa finished her LLB at Al Ameen College, Bangaluru and then moved to Qatar for the Master’s course.
Hamaira said, “I have four children. The eldest girl is a doctor and lives in the US. The son is doing journalism and the youngest daughter is doing dental undergraduate course. I’m very happy my daughter has got international recognition for her artwork.”
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Mangalore News / TNN / November 20th, 2016