Mahbuba Elham Maqsoodi (born 1957) is a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

Afghan Afghan may refer to: *Something of or related to Afghanistan, a country in Southern-Central Asia *Afghans, people or citizens of Afghanistan, typically of any ethnicity ** Afghan (ethnonym), the historic term applied strictly to people of the Pas ...

artist based in

Munich, Germany Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...

. She is recognized for miniature paintings and painting on glass, including designing 34 stained glass windows for

Tholey Abbey Tholey Abbey (german: Abtei Tholey) in Tholey, in the district of Sankt Wendel in Saarland, is a Benedictine monastery dedicated to Saint Maurice. It is part of the Beuronese Congregation within the Benedictine Confederation. History As early as t ...

in Germany. She is an advocate for women's rights, a published author, and received a PhD in Art History.

Early life and education

Born in

Herat Herāt (; Persian: ) is an oasis city and the third-largest city of Afghanistan. In 2020, it had an estimated population of 574,276, and serves as the capital of Herat Province, situated south of the Paropamisus Mountains (''Selseleh-ye Safēd ...

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

, Mahbuba Elham Maqsoodi is the fourth of seven daughters. Her father, an educator, founded a school for girls. She graduated from high school with a university entrance diploma, and obtained teaching qualifications. She taught

chemistry Chemistry is the science, scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the Chemical element, elements that make up matter to the chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions ...

and

biology Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary i ...

at an all girls high school. Together with her older sister Afifa, she became politically active. Both sisters were members of the youth wing of a political party which primarily advocated for women's rights in Afghanistan. In 1979, an Islamist extremist assassinated Afifa.

Artistic life

Afghanistan (1973 - 1979)

Maqsoodi's artistic career began in 1973, when she started studying the art of Persian miniature paintings with Fazl Maqsoodi, whom she later married. At the time, Fazl was a master-class student of Ustad Mohammad Sayed (otherwise known as Mashal). Mashal's organisation was famous across

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

and Afghanistan for its Behzadinian art of miniatures (also known as the "torch of Behzadinian miniature tradition"). Once married, the couple participated in group exhibitions in both Herat and

Kabul Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into 22 municipal districts. Acco ...

. One of Maqsoodi's miniatures was added to the collection of Kabul's National Gallery.

Russia (1979 - 1994)

In 1979, Mahbuba and Fazl Maqsoodi received a scholarship from Afghanistan's Ministry of Culture. Both artists were allowed a course of studies in a foreign country; this led them to Saint Petersburg, Russia. Mahbuba became a scholarship holder at

Mukhina Mukhin (russian: Мухин, from ''муха'' meaning ''fly'') is a Russian masculine surname, its feminine counterpart is Mukhina. It may refer to: * Andrey Mukhin (born 1971), Ukrainian luger * Elena Mukhina (1960–2006), Russian gymnast * Je ...

Academy of Arts (presently known as the Stieglitz Academy of Arts). In Saint Petersburg, the official socialistic doctrine of arts meant that students had to strictly follow

socialist realism Socialist realism is a style of idealized realistic art that was developed in the Soviet Union and was the official style in that country between 1932 and 1988, as well as in other socialist countries after World War II. Socialist realism is ch ...

. In 1987 Maqsoodi finished her scholarship with a final thesis at the faculty for

ceramic A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcelain ...

s and

glass Glass is a non-crystalline, often transparent, amorphous solid that has widespread practical, technological, and decorative use in, for example, window panes, tableware, and optics. Glass is most often formed by rapid cooling (quenching) of ...

as the best student of the course. Additionally, her academic submission was added to the academy's collection. As a result, both Mahbuba and Fazl Maqsoodi were able to hold an art exhibition, which opened on December 3, 1987, at Arseniy's Morozov Villa, formerly "House of Friendship with Foreign Nations". After the scholarships ended, there was no chance of return to Afghanistan due to the ongoing

civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

. The couple applied for postgraduate scholarships and The Ministry of Culture, for the purpose of research studies, approved both applications. In 1993, Mahbuba completed her studies at the Stieglitz Academy for Arts with a PhD in

Art History Art history is the study of aesthetic objects and visual expression in historical and stylistic context. Traditionally, the discipline of art history emphasized painting, drawing, sculpture, architecture, ceramics and decorative arts; yet today ...

. Her PhD thesis was entitled: "The tradition of ornaments in contemporary Afghan ceramics".

Germany (1994 - present)

In 1994, Fazl Maqsoodi had a solo exhibition at Gallery Goethe 53 in Munich, Germany. The exhibition was titled "Afghanistan on fire". In the years between 2001 and 2012, Maqsoodi's artwork mainly focused on architectural based contractual orders. For her, it meant to professionally adapt the artistic language of the 19th century (Pre-Raphelite and Romanesque style). From 2012, she developed her art and gained attention in 2017 with her solo exhibition "GlasKlar" at Munich's Maximilianeum. In 2018, she participated and won an art competition to design 34 new windows for Germany's oldest Benedict monastery in Tholey. Alongside Maqsoodi, the artist

Gerhard Richter Gerhard Richter (; born 9 February 1932) is a German visual artist. Richter has produced abstract as well as photorealistic paintings, and also photographs and glass pieces. He is widely regarded as one of the most important contemporary German ...

was contracted to design 3 of the windows. All of the windows have been fabricated at Bayerische Hofglasmalerei Gustav van Treeck (est. 1887) in Munich, and at Glasmalerei Frese in Saarbrücken. Maqsoodi has always seen herself as a

painter Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...

and drawer. For her, painting on glass is part of a wider artistic body of works. The complexity and variety of (hand-made) glass creates a three-dimensionality, which is characteristic for the artist.

Social commitments

From her early years, Maqsoodi has been socially engaged and interested in

women's rights Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countries, ...

. In 2003, she founded the "Afghan Women in Munich" association (a membership corporation). The association's mission is to support women

refugees A refugee, conventionally speaking, is a displaced person who has crossed national borders and who cannot or is unwilling to return home due to well-founded fear of persecution.

and their families to establish participation in society and to receive adequate information on their rights and duties. The female role in society is of utmost importance for Maqsoodi: "If I don't like something, I will change it. Sometimes unknowingly, but always naturally. I emancipated myself in Afghanistan, and I would like to make life for Afghan women easier." As a member for many years of the "Alliance of women's associations in Munich", her commitment to institutions like the "Munich advisory committee for foreigners" and the "Munich municipal council commission for integration", has made a great contribution to the process of cultural and social integration. For her social engagement, she received the Bavarian Constitution Medal in silver on December 16, 2013.

Personal life

In 1994 Maqsoodi, her husband, and their two sons were granted

political asylum The right of asylum (sometimes called right of political asylum; ) is an ancient juridical concept, under which people persecuted by their own rulers might be protected by another sovereign authority, like a second country or another enti ...

in Munich, Germany. In 2010, Fazl Maqsoodi passed away from

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

at the age of 60. Mahbuba Elham Maqsoodi continues to live and work in Munich.

Book publication

"Der Tropfen weiß nichts vom Meer"

On September 12, 2017, Mahbuba Maqsoodi presented her book "Der Tropfen weiß nichts vom Meer" (The drop knows nothing of the sea) to the public, which she wrote together with her close friend and editor Hanna Diederichs. The autobiographical work includes 77 short stories, divided into three episodes: Afghanistan, Russia, and Germany. The book was published by

Wilhelm Heyne Verlag Wilhelm may refer to: People and fictional characters * William Charles John Pitcher, costume designer known professionally as "Wilhelm" * Wilhelm (name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname Other uses * Moun ...

, Munich, and their publishing group Random House GmbH ().

Selected exhibitions

* 1976: School of Persian Miniature Painting, group exhibition: "Young Herati Artists and the Persian Miniature Painting." (Herat, Afghanistan) * 1980: Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Kabul, group exhibition: "Modern Painting in Afghanistan" ( Kabul, Afghanistan) * 1981: Culture Centre

Tashkent Tashkent (, uz, Toshkent, Тошкент/, ) (from russian: Ташкент), or Toshkent (; ), also historically known as Chach is the capital and largest city of Uzbekistan. It is the most populous city in Central Asia, with a population of ...

, group exhibition: "Miniature Paintings, Paintings by Mahbuba Elham Maqsoodi and Fazl Maqsoodi" (Tashkent,

Uzbekistan Uzbekistan (, ; uz, Ozbekiston, italic=yes / , ; russian: Узбекистан), officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( uz, Ozbekiston Respublikasi, italic=yes / ; russian: Республика Узбекистан), is a doubly landlocked cou ...

) * 1985: Academy of Arts, group exhibition; miniature paintings, graphics, paintings, ceramics: "Herat-Leningrad" (Saint Petersburg, Russia) * 1987: Arseniks Morozov Villa, group exhibition; paintings, graphics, ceramics: "What happened in seven years" (Moscow, Russia) * 1987 travelling exhibition: "Selected pieces from diploma thesis submitted to the Stieglitz Academy of Arts" (Saint Petersburg, Russia), (

Minsk Minsk ( be, Мінск ; russian: Минск) is the capital and the largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach and the now subterranean Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the admi ...

, Belarus), (

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...

, Poland) * 1992: MANEGE Art Gallery Sankt Petersburg, group exhibition; "White Porcelain" (Saint Petersburg, Russia) * 1997: VHS München, group exhibition: "Afghanistan Land voller Hoffnungen?" (Munich, Germany) * 1999: Kulturzentrum Pasinger Fabrik, group exhibition (Munich, Germany) * 1999: SOAS Library, group exhibition: "Art from the destroyed Afghanistan" (London, United Kingdom) * 2000:

Museum Fünf Kontinente The Museum Five Continents or Five Continents Museum (german: Museum Fünf Kontinente), located in Munich, Germany, is a museum for non-European artworks and objects of cultural value. Its name until 9 September 2014 was Bavarian State Museum of E ...

, group exhibition: "Frieden für Afghanistan" (Munich, Germany) * 2001: Crypt Gallery

St. Martin in the Fields St Martin-in-the-Fields is a Church of England parish church at the north-east corner of Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, London. It is dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours. There has been a church on the site since at least the mediev ...

, group exhibition: "Flug in die Freiheit" (London, United Kingdom) * 2002: Bonn Women's Museum, group exhibition; "Wegziehen" (Bonn, Germany) * 2003: European Patent Organisation, group exhibition: "Afghanistan die neue Freiheit" (Munich, Germany) * 2003: Suermondt-Ludwig-Museum, group exhibition: "Ex Orient - Isaak und der weiße Elefant", (Aachen, Germany) * 2004: Glashalle Gasteig, "Lange Nacht der Frauen" (Munich, Germany) * 2005:

Rheinisches Landesmuseum Bonn The Rheinisches Landesmuseum Bonn, or LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn, is a museum in Bonn, Germany, run by the Rhineland Landscape Association. It is one of the oldest museums in the country. In 2003 it completed an extensive renovation. The museum has a n ...

, "Afghanistan- meine Hoffnungen, mein Leiden" (Bonn, Germany) * 2008: Kulturzentrum Trudering, group exhibition "2 künstlerischen Wege" (Munich, Germany) * 2017:

Maximilianeum The Maximilianeum, a palatial building in Munich, was built as the home of a gifted students' foundation but since 1949 has housed the Bavarian State Parliament. It sits grandly and as a focal point on the bank of the Isar River above Maximilian ...

"GLASKlar" (Munich, Germany) * 2017: Katharina von Bora Haus: "Kunstwerk des Monats - VIELFALT" (Berg am Starnberg, Germany) * 2018: Kunstverein Wörth, group exhibition: "EUROPA ohne Grenzen" (Wörth am Rhein, Germany) * 2019: Nazareth Kirche, "Und ICH!" (Munich, Germany) * 2020: Kunstraum van Treeck, Malereien und Glasbilder im Rahmen des "First View Neue Künstlerfenster" Mahbuba Maqsoodi und Gerhard Richter für die Benediktinerabtei Tholey, (Munich, Germany)

References

External links

Website Mahbuba Maqsoodi
*
"Eine Emanzipationsgeschichte aus Afghanistan"
' In: Mehr Zeit für Menschen, BR Bayern 3 (15.10.2017)
"''Glaskünstlerin Mahbuba Maqsoodi"''
BR Mediathek (8.11.2017) * '
Glasmalerkunst in St. Arnual"
' SR-Mediathek (14.11.2019)
''"Mahbuba Maqsoodi. A short documentary by Benjamin Mang"''
FilmFreeway.com (26.03.2020)
"''Literarische Reise in den Orient"''
Passau, Niederbayern TV (22.05.2019) *

' Ein Thema in der Sendung "Der Morgen" auf SR 2 KulturRadio (23.08.2019) *
"Fensterkunst für Tholey. Ein Besuch bei Glaskünstlerin Mahbuba Maqsoodi in München."
' Wir im Saarland-Kultur. SR Fernsehen (18.12.2019) *
"Bayrisches Glas für Tholey"

SR-Mediathek (5.02.2020)
*
"Mahbuba Maqsoodi baut Brücken mit Malereien"
'' Gustav van Treeck. Bayerische Hofglasmalerei (26.03.2020)