Artist Bio
Fatana Baktash Arifi is a versatile artist currently residing in Virginia, USA. From an early age, she has demonstrated exceptional artistic skills across various mediums and genres. As a realist artist, she has garnered acclaim for her award-winning oil, charcoal, pencil, watercolor, and portraits, each capturing a distinctive essence of beauty, likeness, and character. Additionally, she has embarked on various projects involving pen and ink work and illustrations.
In 1985, Fatana established her unique painting style, Handasaisim, rooted in realism and geometric forms, exuding an elegant and authentic aesthetic.
Fatana holds an MFA in Fine Arts from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, a Fine Arts Diploma from Thompson Education Direct College, a B.F.A (Magna Cum Laude) from Kabul University, and a diploma from the Maimanagi Art Institute in Kabul, Afghanistan. She completed her schooling at Rabiha Balkhi High School in Kabul.
Fatana's extensive portfolio is a testament to her prolific artistic ventures and exhibitions, underscored by numerous awards, international recognition, ongoing commissions, and sales.
Notably, Fatana earned the distinction of being the youngest visual artist and the first woman to secure membership in Afghanistan's National Association of Artists. She also achieved the honor of having her work displayed permanently at the National Art Gallery of Kabul and the Art Gallery of the Department of Fine Arts at Kabul University. Her affiliations include the National Association of Women Artists of New York, Empowered Women International, Gallery West, and the National Museum of Women in the Arts.
With extensive experience as an art instructor, Fatana has imparted her knowledge to a wide spectrum of audiences, from local art centers to college and university programs, both domestically and internationally. In 1995, she established the Maimanagi Art Center in Pakistan, a creative sanctuary for talented refugees amidst displacement and conflict. Presently, she spearheads Baktash Art Circle, an online art organization she founded and currently presides over.
Fatana's creative pursuits extend beyond visual arts; she is also a proficient writer who occasionally channels her emotions into poetry in her native language, Farsi. She authored "Painting and its Status in Afghanistan," published by the Cultural Ministry of Afghanistan, and serves as the founding editor of "Art and Culture," a publication in Pakistan dedicated to artists and refugee talents.
Her comprehensive understanding of diverse visual expressions equips Fatana to broaden her artistic horizons into areas such as art business management, art history, art restoration, picture framing, art entrepreneurship, 3D design, sculpting, silk screening, Arabic/Farsi calligraphy, digital and graphic art & design, web design, writing, and poetry.