Qamar Dagar
Born
New Delhi
NationalityIndian
OccupationCalligrapher

Qamar Dagar is an Indian calligrapher. She is the founder of the Qalamkaari Creative Calligraphy Trust. In 2016, she was awarded the Nari Shakti Puraskar, India's highest civilian award for women.

Early life and education

Dagar was born in New Delhi to a family of classical Dhrupad musicians.[1][2] She graduated from the University of Delhi with a degree in sociology.[2] She has cited calligraphers Hassan Massoudy and Mohammad Elbaz as mentors.[2]

Career

Dagar is a professional calligrapher who uses an abstract pictorial calligraphy style in her work.[3] CNBC TV18 called her India's "most celebrated pictorial calligrapher."[4]

Dagar's solo exhibitions have taken place in India, France and the United States.[5][6] In 2019, she participated in a group exhibit at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts.[2][7]

In addition to her own professional use of calligraphy, she works to preserve the art form in India through her organization, the Qalamkaari Creative Calligraphy Trust.[3][1] She founded the Trust to organize events for artists to share their work with the public and to keep the art of calligraphy alive.[1] Dagar has organized international calligraphy festivals.[2] Her calligraphy workshops have earned media attention as a cultural attraction for tourists to India.[4][8][9]

Awards and honours

In 2016, President Pranab Mukherjee awarded her the Nari Shakti Puraskar, the highest civil award in India for women.[10][11]

References

  1. ^ a b c Parvez, Subuhi (1 March 2012). "Calligraphy: Reviving the dying art". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e Banerjee, Sudeshna (24 March 2019). "Different strokes". The Asian Age. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  3. ^ a b Jones, Vivien; Pokharel, Sugam (1 April 2020). "Qamar Dagar, the woman fighting to keep India's calligraphy culture alive". CNN Travel. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  4. ^ a b "Art: Learning calligraphy with Qamar Dagar". CNBC TV18. 9 August 2019. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  5. ^ Raghib, Qazi M. (16 May 2018). "Qamar Dagar: Combining spirituality with calligraphy". National Herald. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  6. ^ "Youngsters bring alive art of calligraphy". Business Standard. 12 May 2014. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  7. ^ Varghese, Shiny (12 February 2019). "Telling Strokes: An exhibition honours Mahatma Gandhi through handmade paper and calligraphy". The Indian Express. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  8. ^ "23 exclusive experiences at India's top hotels". Condé Nast Traveller India. 26 June 2019. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  9. ^ Hill, Bee (8 March 2018). "A Mindful Guide To Visiting India". Nylon. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  10. ^ "Nari Shakti Awardees- Ms. Qamar Dagar, Delhi | Ministry of Women & Child Development | GoI". Ministry of Women and Child Development. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  11. ^ "आधुनिक भारत में लड़का-लड़की में भेदभाव की कोई जगह नहीं: राष्ट्रपति". Amar Ujala. 9 March 2017. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
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