World Art Dubai 2025: Masood Hussain Brings Kashmir to Dubai
Masood Hussain is a multi-disciplinary artist from Kashmir whose artwork embodies Kashmiri beauty, culture, and resistance. However, Hussain has been carrying resistance within him from a young age. He defied his father’s wishes to pursue medicine, despite his father being a physician. Instead of being keen on medical studies, he liked making anatomical drawings, which led him to study arts at the Sir J.J. Institute of Applied Arts in Mumbai, India.
Hussain continued working as an artist in the city but eventually returned to Kashmir and started teaching at the Institute of Music and Fine Arts, University of Kashmir in 1977. He taught for 35 years, during which he also became the Head of the Department of Applied Arts, leading the future generations of artists. “I encouraged young artists to find their voice and stay connected to their roots,” the artist said.
Kashmir in Masood Hussain's Artwork
Hussain has maintained a strong connection with his roots through his art, and he will showcase a series of his watercolor paintings representing this connection at the 2025 World Art Dubai. These paintings will showcase the quintessential beauty of Kashmir’s natural landscapes, streets, rural life, and traditional architecture.
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Although the traditional architecture in Kashmir has been deteriorating for many years, Hussain continues to focus on it in his artwork. “By painting them in their original glory, I aim to offer a glimpse into our heritage—what we had, what we valued, and what we must strive to protect. It’s not nostalgia; it’s a form of resistance and remembrance,” the artist told UAE Moments.
Image source: @masood_hussain_artist.
Unlike other artists who focus solely on Kashmir’s beauty, Hussain sheds light on the suffering of the Kashmiri people; for example, in 2016, he highlighted the blinding of children by the paramilitary’s pellet guns during the large-scale protests over the killing of Burhan Wani. He created digital artwork shedding light on this situation, one of them showing a girl holding two dolls, both without eyes, symbolizing their blinding by the pellets.
In addition to depicting the struggles of Kashmiris during the uprisings, the artist also shows the social and economic struggles of his people in his artwork. “The abandoned homes, the silent streets, the fading faces—all hint at deeper struggles, including poverty, displacement, and loss of livelihood. My art aims to speak to all layers of Kashmir’s reality,” Hussain said.
Masood Hussain's Relationship With Poetry
The artist also has a deep relationship with poetry because he has illustrated three poetry collections with Irish poet Gabreal Rossenstock, which are ‘Love Letters to Kashmir’, Boatman, Take These Songs From Me’, and ‘Walk with Gandhi: Bóthar na Saoirse’.
Hussain also provided his artwork for the late Kashmiri-American poet Agha Shahid Ali’s poetry collection ‘The Country Without a Post Office’. “Poetry and visual art are two forms of the same expression—both strive to capture the unspeakable,” according to Hussain.
The Artist's Exploration of Various Media, Including Digital Art
Hussain has not limited himself to one medium of art, creating paintings, mixed media, sculptures, architectural design, and digital artwork. When asked about his choice to pursue the digital medium, the artist said, “Digital mediums allow me to tell Kashmir’s stories in more dynamic, accessible, and engaging ways—especially for younger generations.”
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He added, “It’s a natural extension of my practice, combining tradition with technology to preserve and share our narratives.” Masood Hussain has embraced social media as well, using it to share his artwork online. “For an artist from Kashmir, it has been a powerful tool to bring our stories and culture to the world stage.”
The artist is collaborating with the renowned Artistree Gallery to showcase his artwork at World Art Dubai. “I think it’s the best platform for any artist, as people from all over the world visit [the art fair]’’
Get a glimpse of heaven on earth with Kashmiri artist Masood Hussain’s artwork at the 2025 World Art Dubai.
The art fair will run from Apr. 17 to Apr. 20 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. Book your tickets here.