Samira Kitman (born 1984) is an Afghanistan-born calligrapher and miniaturist currently residing in Lancaster in northern England. [1]
Her parents fled to Pakistan to avoid the troubles[ which? ], where they lived as refugees during her early childhood. They returned to Kabul in 2002. [2]
She learned her craft with the Turquoise Mountain Foundation and went on to organise the contract that provided Afghan miniature painting, ceramics and woodwork to the brand new five-star Anjum Hotel in Mecca which is used by wealthy pilgrims. She employed fifteen women calligraphers. [3] The contract worth £175,000 was for 6,000 illuminated Quranic verses to decorate the five-star hotel. She and her artists had 11 weeks to complete the intricate ink lettering with swirls of green and gold watercolour. [4]
She was voted Afghan businesswoman of the year, [2] has been praised by Prince Charles and has had her art displayed at the Victoria and Albert museum in London and the Smithsonian in Washington.
She created Maftah-e Hunar, an arts foundation which trained eighty young, deprived women to become artists and make a living. In 2016 she featured in We Are Afghan Women, a book by the former American first lady Laura Bush. [1]
Kitman’s high profile brought her to the attention of militants, and she applied for asylum to the United Kingdom and was located by the Home Office in Lancaster. [1] Her application was refused, an appeal lodged then on 18 March 2017, before the appeal the Home Office reversed its decision: “They advised that after reviewing their decision they hadn’t realised the extent of Samira’s profile in Afghanistan and internationally and that due to her profile she would be at risk.” [5]
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