If you can’t find Yaser Shaw along the colorful streets of Srinagar, perhaps you will have better luck in the wild. For a buzzing creative mind, nearby Mount Mahadev and the picturesque sweep of Dachigam National Park provide an oasis—a three-day uphill trek among the natural flora and fauna of Kashmir.
On the way up the mountain, Yaser passes fellow wanderers, pastoral nomads tending to cattle and herds of Hangul stags migrating to a lower elevation for the winter. Grey langur monkeys chirp through the autumnal canopy, and in the distance, a snow leopard weaves quietly among the trees.
Called the “Guardian of Srinagar,” Mount Mahadev sits an imposing 13,000 feet above sea level. Yaser slowly makes his way up the rocky scramble, accepting this challenge with the same restraint and intention he demonstrates when working with cashmere. At the peak, he can see it all: the gentle spread of Srinagar, the Tarsar and Marsar lakes, the Greater Himalayas in the distance. From this vantage point, inspiration comes as naturally as breathing.
After each trip, Yaser returns to the studio and unpacks his mind along with his rucksack. The things seen and felt are tangible and vivid: Delicate wildflowers along the trail, windswept grasses sheltering against limestone, a glimpse of the soft, hypnotizing spots on that snow leopard. With a needle, silk thread and a great deal of patience, he sets about capturing the beauty of this wild world—imbuing each shawl with a bit of magic from the mountains.
