The beauty your eyes behold

By Khurram Murad Siddiqui

Aestheticization of meaning is art, and taking that note, we all are artists - some of us learned, some amateur. The manifestation of our art is by what resources, skills and thoughts we own around. Some privileged sons of gold, pile up the statues and structures like Tajmahal and Burj Khalifa. Some apply red lipstick, some drape white aprons, some wear platinum bracelets on their wrist and some handicraft them with palm leaves around them. Each ones worth defines the worth of their art. Music of Metallica bands and harp of darvesh, film director's 10 billion dollar movie and grandmothers bedtime stories, are versions and layers of art. Some of us recognize the art beyond the tv screens and some of us fail to find it on our tablecloth.

We live in a world of classifications, types, and specifics. So we have classified art as we did to humans centuries ago. Appreciating art that fails to make it to mainstream or to be specific "the internet", finds no space in our bookmarks. The matter of fact is that we fail to see the larger picture or the larger design of nature.

Just look at us for that matter, what a precision of our body parts and marvellous design of the universe is inside us (and outside us). We "like" exciting facebook pages and follow Instagram accounts to have visual treats of art every day. But irony being, we failing to appreciate the real artist of the exact petals size of sunflower.

Every artwork is the reflection of an artist's thought, as previously said 'aestheticization of meaning'. Poets use the beauty of language, play with the words and breath life into an idea. Same is the case with every art form. Have you seen your mom creating art every day, her canvas is the utensil in her kitchen more like an arena, adding one ingredient after another, letting some onions to extra caramelize and few still soft white to create that unique flavour as you take a morsel of hot khichdi with ghee in your mouth......our souls liberate.

You see, that's the power of art, the power of appreciating art, the power of acknowledging an artist. Why do people who are depressed go to these art galleries? They visit these museums and galleries to connect their broken piece of art with the art they see firm. Some artists are great on prayer mats, just spare few minutes staring at them - every prostration, lip movement, sitting posture will give us a moment of truth of what it is like to see the artist and his creation having a dialogue with each other.

So let's create more art, add a wider smile on face, few more drops of Kesar in kheer, an extra line of poetry, a little more splash of pink and a little longer sujood.

Art is everywhere! Give it an eye, and it will appreciate the beauty your eyes behold.