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The government is doing little to promote lacquer art |
In 1942, Jit got
married to Prabhjit Kaur. On insistence of his parents he come to his
native land Lahore to join his family. In 1943, he went to Sind province
in search of wider avenues of work and employment. By the time this
artist had advanced into his twenties, he started creating his own
designs and motifs on lacquer work. After Partition, he worked in a
lathe workshop at Phagwara for some time.
In 1952, he was invited
to be a teacher in the newly opened art school in Shimla. In 1955, the
All-India Handicraft Board selected him for advance training in lacquer
art in Japan for six months. He also learnt the bamboo art of Japan.
In 1960, he was
appointed as craft designer and sent to Hoshiarpur, Punjab, to train
young craftsman in lacquer art for one year. The following year he was
selected as Assistant Director, Design, Institute of Design, Punjab. He
served this institution for 18 years and then settled at Patiala after
his retirement in 1981.
He participated in many
exhibitions in India and abroad, which were organised by the All-India
Handicraft Board, Indian Academy of Fine Arts, Amritsar, and All-India
Art and Crafts Society, Delhi.
He was given Merit
Certificate at the National Master Craftsman Competition in 1968 and two
state awards for excelling in lacquer art by the Punjab Government in
1972 and 1980. In 1983, he was presented National Award by then
President Giani Zail Singh for recognition of his services in this art.
In 1999, the Punjab Government honoured him with Vishwakarma Award. Jit
Singh visited Pakistan in 1990 and met his guru Ustad Mubark at National
College of Art (then known as Mayo School of Art), Lahore.
Now at 82 this artist, who is still
healthy and fit, describes that he enjoyed this art very much during his
lifetime and is fully satisfied with his work. Fearing that this art may
die because few persons are left in India who know this technique, he
entreats, "The government should take responsibility to promote
this art, which can solve unemployment. Moreover, revenue can be earned
by exporting this craft to other countries."
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