Lady with Coffee Mug Print

Dinesh Attry is a young artist from a little village called Kunr in India, about 372 miles (600 km) north of New Delhi. The village is in Chamba Valley, one of the prettiest valleys in the North Western state of Himachal Pradesh. Himachal literally means “In the lap of the Himalayas”. The extraordinary beauty of the valley comes from a fabulous view of the snow-clad peaks of the Himalayas while standing amidst the small villages and hamlets scattered in the lush green hills sloping up from the banks of the Ravi River. Kunr is one of the villages in this setting. It has a population of only 500 living in less than 100 houses. Dinesh’s father, like his ancestors before him, is a farmer. He tends a small piece of land in this pretty place. Besides this spectacular scenery, the rosy-cheeked people wearing one most colourful traditional costumes in the world also enhance the beauty of the region. Kunr in India Early Life Dinesh started dabbling with paint at a very early age, he cannot remember when he would have made his first painting but recalls painting and drawing was always his passion, he was seldom without a paintbrush in his hand. His father recognized this talent and encouraged him to develop his talent. He introduced him to people in the area who could teach him the craft. Born in 1988, Dinesh is fourth amongst six siblings. The only artist in the family. He does not know of any other person in his linage or extended family who is or was an artist. He moved out of the little village as a teenager to one of the big cities, where he found a tutor to teach him drawing. Dinesh says he is indebted to his Guru, who helped him to develop his talent. Career Dinesh started his art career as a sketch artist sitting beside a lake making portraits of any person passing by, who wanted to their image etched on paper. In 2006, Dinesh moved to Shimla. The Summer Capital of British India, now the capital city of the State of Himachal Pradesh, where he continued practicing his street art, sketching portraits of tourists visiting the hill station during their summer holiday. For a short time, he worked as a cartoonist for a local newspaper and still works for the police as a sketch artist. He is often asked to assist with solving complex cases. He says the process of sketching faces based on descriptions recalled by a witness is like a data transfer process. You transfer the data from a conversation with the witness to your brain.