Ameena Ahmad Ahuja is an Indian painter, calligrapher, writer and linguist, known for her Urdu poetry-inspired art works.[1]

Ameena Ahmad Ahuja
Born
India
Alma materSlade School of Art
Occupation(s)Painter
Calligrapher
Linguist
Writer
Known forCalligraphic paintings
SpouseVishnu Ahuja
ParentNuruddin Ahmed
AwardsPadma Shri
WebsiteWebsite

Biography

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Ameena Ahmad Ahuja was born to a British mother and Nuruddin Ahmed, a barrister and litterateur. She did her training in art at the Slade School of Art in London.[2] She is a former member of faculty of the Department of Russian at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)[2] and, besides Russian, she is proficient in languages such as Persian, German, French, Hindi and English.[1] Her career also covered stints at Columbia University as a lecturer of poetry and as an Artist-in-residence at the Harvard University and her exhibitions have been staged at many places in India[3] and abroad including Moscow, Tokyo, Venezuela, Columbia and New York.[4] She has served as the official translator during the visits of Soviet dignitaries including Alexei Kosygin, Nikolai Bulganin, Nikita Khrushchev and Leonid Brezhnev to India.[1]

She was married to Vishnu Ahuja, a diplomat and former ambassador to the USSR and had opportunities to visit many countries, accompanying her husband, who has since died.[1]

Publications

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She is the author of the book, Calligraphy in Islam, a text in Urdu, published 2009 by Penguin India.[5]

Awards and honours

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The Government of India awarded her the fourth highest civilian honour of the Padma Shri, in 2009, for her contributions to Arts.[6]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Austa, Sanjay (April 2005). "Calligraphying Poetry on Canvas". The South Asian. Archived from the original on 3 February 2017. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
  2. ^ a b Sharma, Parul (17 May 2007). "Amazing synthesis of art, poetry". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 22 November 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
  3. ^ Israni, Natasha (5 March 2001). "Wisdom of Birds and Animals: Exhibition of calligraphic paintings by Ameena Ahmed Ahuja". India Today. Archived from the original on 22 November 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
  4. ^ "Ameena Ahmad Ahuja donates 33 paintings to Jamia Millia Islamia". One India. 16 May 2007. Archived from the original on 22 November 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
  5. ^ Ameena Ahmed Ahuja (2009). Calligraphy in Islam. Penguin India. p. 120. ISBN 9780670082605.
  6. ^ "Padma Awards" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2015. Retrieved 3 January 2016.

Further reading

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  • Ameena Ahmed Ahuja (2009). Calligraphy in Islam. Penguin India. p. 120. ISBN 9780670082605.