SM Mushtaq is a Kashmiri artist and cancer survivor known for his resilience and deep passion for painting. Hailing from the Srinagar Kashmir, his love for art began in childhood, inspired by the bustling scenes around his father’s shop. He trained in fine arts at the Institute of Music and Fine Arts in Srinagar, learning diverse techniques including clay modelling, sculpture, and wood-carving.

Over the years, Mushtaq built a career in art—specializing in handmade paintings, Islamic calligraphy, and modern art—and ran the SM Mushtaq Art Gallery. Despite enduring significant personal and professional hardships, including losing his business in the turmoil of the 1990s and then devastating floods in 2014 that washed away much of his work, he continued to pursue his art with determination.

In recent years, Mushtaq has also faced stage 4 throat cancer, with surgery having affected his vocal cords. Yet, he credits his brush and colours with giving him confidence, hope, and a renewed voice through his art. He lives by the mantra that “life might be transient, but art lives forever,” continuing to paint even in the face of adversity.