|
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.

|
|
|

"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. |
|