Born: 1984 Kabul, Afghanistan
Year of Migration to the UK: 2016
Biography
Calligrapher and miniaturist Samira Kitman was born into a Pashtun family in Kabul, Afghanistan in 1984. When she was eight years old, she fled the Taliban with her family and sought refuge in Pakistan. When the Taliban were overthrown, her family returned home in 2002, along with tens of thousands of other Afghans. To pursue her passion for art and design, Kitman enrolled in 2007 at the newly established Turquoise Mountain Institute, a Scottish-initiated NGO with branches in Kabul that focuses on enhancing the Afghan craft industry. After graduating in 2010, she started her own business, Meftah-e-Hunar (The Key of Art), producing illuminated calligraphic artworks and training young, underprivileged women to become artists and earn a living. So far, her business has taught calligraphy and miniature painting to over 90 young girls.
In 2014, Turquoise Mountain secured a major commission for interior artwork for the new five-star Anjum Hotel in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Kitman’s company served as a subcontractor, resulting in the creation of 600 unique hand-crafted calligraphy artworks and 8,000 reproductions for the 1,700 rooms of the Hotel. This venture employed 30 Afghan women for a period of six months. In 2015, Kitman received the Best Woman Entrepreneur award, during an International Women’s Day celebration at the Women's Center of the American University of Afghanistan. She was selected from 307 female competitors across Afghanistan for her artistic talents and her ability to tap into international markets to expand her calligraphy business.
However, the Taliban disapproved of the international reputation she was cultivating, especially after her travels to countries such as Germany, Dubai, India, Tajikistan, and Pakistan. She had also visited the USA as a representative of Afghan entrepreneurs and met the Secretary of State, John Kerry. Following a death threat and a kidnap attempt, Kitman felt compelled to leave Kabul. Having been to the UK before, she arrived with a valid visa. In October 2015, she participated in an event at the V&A in London, where her calligraphy was showcased. HRH Prince Charles praised her work via a video connection, having met her previously during his visit to Turquoise Mountain. She arrived in England in 2016 and soon after claimed asylum, citing fears for her safety back in Afghanistan. Life as an asylum seeker, nevertheless, presented stark contrasts for Kitman, who had lived comfortably in a sizable Kabul residence with her affluent family. In England, she was prohibited from working and had to manage on the £5-per-day stipend provided to asylum seekers by the Home Office. Additionally, she faced challenges in securing refugee status. In 2016, she was featured in We Are Afghan Women, a publication by Laura Bush, the former USA First Lady. In March 2017 the Home Office reversed its initial decision to deny Kitman asylum and the artist was able to remain in England.
In 2018, Kitman founded the company 'Kitman Arts', where she holds the position of CEO. Kitman participated in the touring exhibition, Refugee and Renewal: Migration and British Art at the Royal West of England Academy, Bristol, in 2020, while an exhibition showcasing her work was hosted at the Ham Youth Centre, Richmond, London in 2022, with the aim of supporting Afghan refugees. As of 2023, she lives and works in the UK. Samira Kitman's work is not yet represented in any UK public collections.
Related books
- Peggy Ann Spitzer, 'Supporting Female Empowerment Through Visual Arts and Social Media', Empowering Female Climate Change Activists in the Global South: the Path Towards Environmental Social Justice, 2023, pp. 123-145
- Peter Wakelin, Refuge and Renewal: Migration and British Art, (Bristol: Sansom and Company, 2019), p. 98-9
- Laura Welch Bush, We Are Afghan Women: Voices of Hope, (London: Simon and Schuster, 2016)
- Rob Crilly, ‘Rare Success Story Brings Kabul's Art to the World’, The Daily Telegraph, 24 February 2014, p. 13
Related organisations
- Kitman Arts (Founder)
- Turquoise Mountain Arts (student)
Related web links
- Helen Pidd, 'Afghan Artist Wins UK Asylum Claim Following Guardian Report', The Guardian, 26 March 2017
- Helen Pidd, 'From Businesswoman of the year to £5 a day in a shared house', The Guardian, 21 March 2017
- Milton Keynes Arts Centre
- Peter Wakelin, 'Artist Refugees and British Art', ArtUK, 19 December 2019
- Refugees Welcome in Richmond
- Samira Kitman: Crafting Afghanistan's Future: The Illuminator
- Samira Kitman: Imperial War Museum, Conflict of Interest podcast
- TEDx Lancaster University event
- '24yr-old Afghan woman wins the Best Woman Entrepreneur Award', Wadsam, 18 March 2015
Selected exhibitions
- One Afghani Woman's Art - Samira Kitman (solo exhibition), Ham Youth Centre, Ham, London (2022)
- Refugee and Renewal: Migration and British Art (group show), Royal West of England Academy, Bristol (2020)
- Refuge and Renewal: Migration and British Art (group show), Museum of Modern Art, Machynlleth, Wales (2020)
Ben Uri archive
Consult items in the Ben Uri archive related to [Samira Kitman]
Ben Uri library
Publications related to [Samira Kitman] in the Ben Uri Library