Kashmiris have suffered under a violent conflict for the past two decades. For most, war is now a normal part of life in the Valley. Destroyed historic architecture, burned wooden bridges, the decline of folk art and language show the abrupt transformation of their cultural identity. Military bunkers, barricades, concertina wire, and watch towers now dominate the Valley’s landscape and have profoundly changed the Kashmiri psyche. Malik Sajad’s artwork gives a voice and texture to the desolation left behind by the war. Journalist and writer Justine Hardy talks to Malik about his work, the importance of art in telling the story of Kashmir, and his hopes for what it will achieve.