It’s a new morning and Javaid Ahmed is preparing for the day by gathering all his colours and brushes in a bag before he departs to his place of work. His vibrant personality has made him a much-admired gentleman among his friends and co-workers.

Born deaf-mute in Gujranwala, his parents enrolled him in the National Institute for the Deaf (NID) in Satellite Town as a child. His family had recognised early on that he had a talent for painting by watching him sketching birds, trees and flowers. He had appeared to be a student of nature, and its wonderful array of colours.

Javaid studied art for five years at the NID and subsequently decided to move to Lahore. By then, he was a married man so with his family, the move was so that he could look for better opportunities for work.

At that stage, he soon started working in different furniture showrooms where his talents were soon on display for all to see. He ability to paint natural scenery on wooden furniture, such as Chesters, side tables and wardrobes using oil paints was soon appreciated; later on, he also did so, according to the customers’ demands.

“I have three sisters and they are normal like you; they can hear and speak well. I was born deaf and mute but I’m happy and thankful to God,” he explained by writing on a piece of paper.

Mr Ahmed’s paintings speak of the love he has for the colours of nature; it is easy to appreciate his wonderful insights into the blends of the colours of the natural world, when you look at his work.

Mrs Noeen Ghafoor, an owner of a furniture showroom in Gulberg, admires his courage and talent. “Javaid is a hardworking and devoted human being. I really respect his enthusiasm for his work as well as his devotion to his family. I have known him for decades and I have never seen his disability get the better of him. He is a wonderful artist, although he has struggled his whole life,” Mrs Ghafoor added.

‘‘His paintings readily generate a powerful but natural emotional reaction, one of an eagerness to possess not just the picture, but the beautiful scenery portrayed in his work. The paintings on the furniture leave you eager to own the item, if only for the enthralling beauty of the adorning image, even if not for the functional worth of the item,” Ms Wardha Alam of the National College of Art commented.

She continued, “The effect the paintings on the furniture have on one is subtle, yet profoundly soothing; one could easily see oneself as royalty, enjoying a fond teatime, surrounded by such pieces of original beauty”.

The inspirational story of Mr Javaid does not end here. He has three children, a daughter Anam who is a medical student and two sons attending universities. His wife is also deaf-mute but all three children do not have any disability.

Mr Ahmed and his wife, recognising the vital role of education and attaining some skills in life, have provided awareness to many other parents towards their deaf children.

“Our parents have advised other deaf children’s parents about the opportunities they have, despite their disabilities. We appreciate their struggle in life but they are always happy and positive towards everything. I believe if my father had enjoyed some support and greater opportunities, he could have become a much better-known artist, holding exhibitions all over the country,” Anam said with pride.

Mr Javaid, who is keenly aware of his rights as an individual, explained: “A big misconception is that deaf people cannot do much in life. I believe that the deaf-mute can do everything, except hear and speak. The State should provide us with equal rights as are enforced in some western countries. Over here, you see deaf people struggling to find something that can better represent their abilities; it is hard but not impossible.”

Ahmed’s determination to make a difference through his work is admirable, especially in the way he has been looking after his family for decades. He apparently never moans about his lot in life; instead, he feels empowered by it and faces life with a remarkably positive attitude.

Ms Alam has clearly taken a keen interest in Javaid Ahmed’s work. She added: “His compositions have all the elements of painting. He makes your eyes sweep across the whole painting in an eagerness to secure the focal point. Perhaps the symmetrical nature of features in most of the paintings I have seen use both vertical as well as horizontal elements to achieve their alluring effect, making one’s eyes wander across the painting, trying to see the elements which balance and support each other in each composition. The originality of each item is evident; none of them creates a feeling that you have seen a replica of another work of art.”

“The variety of forms and styles of his works is breath-taking; they vary from floral compositions to landscapes; his style is more Victorian than anything contemporary, such as the works of the modernists. Indeed, one can state with confidence that his work is unlike those of any of the local artists, whose work is described as ‘Truck Art’”, Ms Alam said.

People like Javaid should come under the limelight and be appreciated and admired for their courage in facing life’s continuous challenges and struggles. He is an example of hope and fortitude to anyone who meets and engages with him. Our society should seek and utilise the wide variety of powerful and life-enhancing gifts each and every one of our citizens possesses to build and add to the strength of the nation as a whole.

Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2017