JK News Today
Born on the religious land of Birpur on November 7, 1960, Ravinder Jamwal, the renowned sculpture shared his dreams and journey through the creative art with JK News Today Correspondent and said that his dream project yet to come……
Q: Are you a sculpture by choice and how the journey began?
Jamwal: Yes, I was a born artists as I started drawings on papers since my school days and when I reached High School S I took the decision to pursue this art. After Higher Secondary, I joined Music and Fine Art College in 1980 and took admission as a student of creative art. It was then the journey towards an artist began and I never looked back. After getting graduation degree, I had gone to Baroda for Master in Arts and then after returning in 1988, I started looking for projects. But, I also want to mentioned names of those behind my success story. My first inspiration was my elder brother, who guided me. Then in College days first Creative Artist of J&K and my teacher Vijay Rattan Khajuria and then Padam Shri Rajinder Tickoo remained as my mentor.
Q: Which was your first project and how you got it?
Jamwal: My first project in the sculpture field was in year 1990, when I got project from army to prepare statue of General Zorawar Singh installed at, Sunjwan Brigade. Immediately after that I got another project from the state government and installed status of Jambu Lochan at Karan Nagar. And all credit of my beginning as the sculpture was started during the tenure of Mr PG Dhar Chakarborty, the then DC and the then Governor Jagmohan also impressed with my work.
Q: How many statues you made till date and which was your personal best ?
Jamwal: I have made nearly 60 statues and most of the statues installed in all the main chowks of Jammu City and outskirts is my creative art. I feel the best is General Zorawar Singh’s statue at Bahu Plaza, in which he is sitting on horse with sword in his hand.
Q: Just tell about your hard work behind these statues?
Jamwal: You won’t believe that I normally work 13-14 hours a day even in this age when I am 57. But I am not satisfied with my work and I want to work for 20 hours a day. And let me tell you, when I will get retired from my Government services, then I will start to enjoy my work and passion and I want and will work till my last breath, if almighty allow me..
Q: Which is your dream project?
Jamwal: It is yet to come. My dream is to prepare statue of that great personality, who has expanded the limits of our state and he was Maharaja Gulab Singh. Even I discussed it with government many times and for that we require a prime location to install.
Q: Ravinder Jamwal is renowned sculpture, but how you see the future of sculpture in J&K?
Jamwal: This field requires passion and creativity. I do not feel happy while watching present generation in the field — these students hardly prepare any accurate statues. Actually the students are not doing home work properly.
Q: What about the facilities in J&K for artists if compare with other states?
Jamwal: Though I am also a serving lecturer of creative art, I am very clear on this that we are really lacking of facilities here in J&K and this is also among one of the big reasons that we are not capable in competing with creative artists from outside states, whereas if talk about ideas or work, our students are pretty good.
Q: Is creative art going down in J&K ?
