Kashmiri stone artist Manzoor Ahmad Bhat presented sculpture, figurines and decorative objects at the Kashmir Arts Emporium in Srinagar in 2023.
The exhibition formed part of the regional Handicrafts and Handlooms Department’s Know Your Artisan campaign.
A centuries-old material tradition in individual hands
Bhat, from the Ganderbal district, demonstrated carving during the exhibition and discussed the methods behind his work with public officials.
His objects showed how stone could carry both functional decoration and sculptural form.
The exhibition emphasised the technical patience required to work a resistant material and the knowledge transmitted through Kashmir’s craft traditions.
Visibility beyond anonymous handicraft
Traditional crafts are often promoted through regional identity without naming the individual makers responsible for them.
The Know Your Artisan campaign sought to reverse that pattern by connecting specific practitioners with public audiences.
Officials described the exhibition as part of an attempt to support local artists and revitalise the arts-and-crafts sector.
The available account focused heavily on the opening ceremony and did not identify individual titles or dates for Bhat’s works. Nevertheless, it provided enough evidence to recognise a coherent solo presentation built around a distinctive material practice.
The strongest aspect of the exhibition was the live demonstration. Visitors could see that the finished artefacts were not generic products but the result of controlled decisions made through tools, pressure and accumulated experience.
By placing Bhat’s name and working process at the centre, the exhibition treated stone carving as contemporary artistic labour rooted in heritage rather than as an anonymous souvenir industry.