User:Jeffyjahfar/sandbox

Jahfar Klari
Jahfar Klari is a self-trained Kerala based painter, writer, digital artist and drawing teacher.

Childhood
Jahfar Klari (Jahfar Poozhithara) was born on April 10, 1967 in Klari Moochikkal, Kerala as the 6th child of Kadiyakutty and Mohammed. At an age of 4, Jahfar lost his father. Due to financial difficulties, he and his siblings were sent to |Mukkam Muslim Orphanage situated in [Kozhikode|Calicut, Kerala]. In order to support his family of 8 people he started working part-time as a photographer in a studio in Edarikode at the age of 12. At the age of 15, while in the 10th grade, this self-trained young artist won the painting competition in the 26th |Kerala State Arts Festival held in 1982.

Education
Jahfar studied at Mukkam Orphanage from grade 1 to 10. After graduating high school from the Mukkam orphanage, he received diploma in Painting through the Kerala State Technical Examination conducted by the Department of Technical Education of Government of Kerala in 1986.

Photography Career
Jahfar spent years 1989 to 1994 in Saudi Arabia as a photographer. After a car accident after which he had to take 1 year off from work, he had to return back to India. It was during this period that Jahfar decided to focus on painting and pursue his passion for drawing and painting full-time.

Painting Career
In 1995, after returning from Saudi Arabia, Jahfar started Kabani Arts, a drawing school and paintings shop at Kottakkal. Named after the only river that flows Eastward compared to all the westward flowing rivers in Kerala, Kabani has been revolutionary in terms of exploring art as well as changing perceptions of the South Indian society.

Jahfar has been experimenting on various techniques and media over the years. The materials he used over the years ranges from Oil on Canvas, Oil on Velvet, Watercolor on Paper, Dry Pastels, Watercolor on Cloth, Acrylic on Paper, Glass Paintings and Pastels on card board. He specializes in a variety of painting styles including South Indian Murals, Portraits, Arabian Calligraphy, Realistic art as well as Abstract art. In addition to creating art, he has been trained more than 5000 students over the 24 years of Kabani Arts Drawing School.

Global Reach
Jahfar Klari's artworks including his original works as well as recopy of classics are in possession by art collectors across the globe, namely, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Canada, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Pakistan, United States of America and Russia.

Family
Jahfar is married to Saira Banu, a Vedic Mathematics researcher since 1993. They have two children, Jeffy Jahfar and Jerry Jahfar.

Exhibitions
Jahfar has conducted 8 exhibitions between 1995 and 2019 mainly at the Lalita Kala Academy art galleries in [|Kerala].