Ana Molka Ahmed

The First Female Painter of Pakistan
 

Prof Anna Molka Ahmed (1917 - 1994) was a famous Pakistani artist and pioneer of fine arts in the newly born Pakistan in 1947. She was a professor of fine arts at the University of the Punjab in Lahore. She was among the pioneers of women artists in Pakistan and had been a long-time director and moving spirit behind the Fine Arts Department of the Punjab University, Lahore - the first institution that was opened to the women artists in Pakistan. "In fact she has been the facilitator of a movement that made the proactive role of women artists a possibility". writes Nilofur Farrukh (president of International Art Critics Association, Pakistan Section). It is because of trendsetters like her that the feminist art in Pakistan is gaining strength away from traditional gender discriminatory dominance. In fact these days we are witnessing a gradual dismantling of social and gender classifications. Well this has not been easy, since a lot of women had to struggle hard to bring women atop many a prestigious positions - above men, Ana Molka Ahmed is one such women. 

"Nuclear Holocaust"
 

She was born to Jewish parents, in London, UK in 1917. Her mother was Polish and father was a Russian. She studied painting, sculpture and design at St. Martin School of Arts, London. She converted to Islam at the age of 18 in 1935, before marrying Sheikh Ahmed, a would be Pakistani in October 1939. The couple moved to the Indian subcontinent in 1940-41 and settled in Lahore. Although, her marriage was over in 1951, but yet she lived in Pakistan with her two daughters. She was awarded Tamgha-i-Imtiaz, President’s Pride of Performance Award in 1979, Quaid-e-Azam Award in 1982 and the Khdejatul Kubra Award in 1983 for her services in the field of fine arts education in the country. Professor Emeritus Anna Molka Ahmed set up a department, which has now become a center of excellence for Fine Arts in Pakistan.

"The day of Resurrection - Qiyamat"

At the time of independence, there were only five or six Muslim students in the art department, and Anna Molka Ahmed went from one college to another seeking students for the arts department and thus was able to introduce art courses in the Punjab University. Her students became famous artists in the country and many of them are playing their role globally.

"The Hell (Jhahanum)"

"Heaven (Jannat)"

"A village outside Lahore"

Beside painting, she was an avid gardener. She would wear her trade mark while tending the garden, cutting hedges in new and artistic pattern, and went on painting and gardening till the very last time until she was ordered by the doctors to stop because it was straining her health badly.

Anna Molka also took to writing poetry in later part of her life.

Daylight after night.
Spring when birds sing.
Sunshine after rain.
So with life's pain.
And confidence does not wane.
And courage sustains.

She breathed her last in 1994.
 

Commemorating Ana Molka, the Pakistan Post issued a Rs. 4 stamp depicting Ana's portrait and one her masterpiece paintings. Anna Molka Ahmad created a new path and a new way of looking at objects. Her dream and passion will always serve as a guideline for emerging artists, specially the female artists of Pakistan as an inspiration to carry for the torch she ignited decades ago.