User:Naushad Waheed

Naushad Waheed was born in Male’ the capital of the Republic of Maldives on 15th June 1962. His parents came from a middleclass Maldivian family from the remote islands. Naushad’s first year of schooling was in a girl’s school where he spent a year and a half and had the chance of joining Majeediyya boy’s school in 1972. First art lessons were taken up in 1976 under the supervision of his prime art master Mr. Swam Pilley. With no time Naushad became his favorite pupil. Naushad’s interest in art grew due to the appreciation and admirance for his art master and after meeting Sir Noonu Thaa Ahamed Didi, a Maldivian renowned master artist, In 1978 he had several chances to visit south India and influence the work of the great master Sir Ravi Varma. Apprenticed his art master at his home studio in late seventies.

With some dispute with his parents he left to an uncle’s home and lived there for more than eleven years where he was adopted as a son. During this time he worked as a freelance illustrator for school textbooks and for short stories. At 18 Naushad was awarded as the best pencil, pen and ink artist of the year after participating in the national art exhibition in his home country in 1980.The same year he was awarded the best all-round artist of his school.

In 1982, soon after he left school, joined the government in the public service and was sent to Jakarta, Indonesia to follow an apprenticeship in business, where he discovered many Asian Masters and some of the European masters, especially the prints of Salvador Dali. By the time he returned back home he had put all thought of a business career. He then resumed work as a commercial artist. As a painter and craftsmen he developed his skills by selling his works to the tourism industry where his work was appreciated.

In 1986 had the chance of taking part in the 4th South Asian art biennale that held in Dhaka, Bangladesh where he met several Asian artists. Bangladesh was a turning point of his works to contemporary abstracts.

Suzanne Pruner, a novelist from California, USA, met Naushad in the Maldives in 1987. She financed him to study more about art through Art Instruction School in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. He managed to pay the total sum of the School fee to Suzanne in an installment manner. He then did illustrations for her folk stories. Naushad’s Palm Climber was awarded a $50 prize at the annual art competition at Art Instruction School/Minneapolis in 1989. And awarded the Blue Ribbon Art Award for outstanding achievement in the development of artistic skills in 1990. He had his basic art training from Art School in 1989 and Fundamental of arts in 1990.

In October 1989 married to Aishath Hussain, a primary school teacher and had two boys Nabi and Akyas. Naushad and his wife with two children appeared to have a happy life. He returned to his Parents in1989 with his wife Aishath.

When Aishath was expecting for the first baby in late 1990, Naushad was taken as prisoner for drawing a political cartoon in a public weekly magazine and spent almost three years in prison and at home arrest. Later he was pardon by the president and was released. From then his fame grew through out the country as a political artist. During this period while in prison Naushad drew the painting Minerat.

In Dec. 1993 he was met by one of the most leading businessmen in the country who owns a chain of tourist islands known as Villa group of Hotels for his massive talents and the fame he had developed through out the country. He then commissioned Naushad to paint 1200 canvases, wood work and some of his plaster relief works.

Same year he painted the large controversial portrait of the president of the Republic of Maldives. The locals of the capital were stunned by the drawing that they spent hours starring at the drawing that stood in the busy intersection of the two biggest streets. What they talked most was that they did not just see the main drawing in the big portrait but saw something else in it.

His art studio Naushad Arts Pvt. Ltd. was formed on 12fth August 1996.

In 1999 when Naushad’s reputation was well established, he founded Naushad’s Academy of Fine arts, a relatively informal school for artists as well as younger students. This academy was formed with great help and coordination from his fellow artist friends like Hussain Afeef, Ahamed Naeem (Naeembe’) and Hussain Ali Manik.

•	Awards

1980- Best award - inter school, 1980- National art award Maldives, 1981- National art award 3rd place oil paintings, 1981- Special art prize seniors -majeediyaa school Maldives, 1988- National art award pencil drawing, 1989- Blue Ribbon Art Award-Art Instruction School Minneapolis Minnesota-USA, 1989- 3rd place-Annual Art Competition Minneapolis Minnesota- USA, 1989- Participated - 4th Asian art biennale Bangladesh, 1990- 2nd and3rd place national art exhibition, 1997- Maldivian National Art Expose: 1st place-designing and modeling and sculptures, 2nd place in lime stone carving, 2nd in plastic works, silk screen printing, 1st place in wood carvings and relief, 1997- Presidents award- Maldives.

•	Exhibitions

1983- Ihuru Tourist Resort-Maldives 1986- Bandos Tourist Resort-Maldives 1986- Lhohifushi Tourist Island-Maldives 1989- Shilpakala Academy-Bangladesh 1993- One man show MCSE-Maldives

Work represented in numerous permanent collections including:

Thaj Group -Embudhu Finolhu - Maldives, Bandos Tourist Island-Maldives, Villa group of Hotels – Maldives, (Paradise Island, Sun Island, Holiday Island and Royal Island) Helengeli Tourist Island-Maldives, Machchafushi resort Maldives, Kanifinolhu Resort Maldives, Lhohifushi Resort Maldives, Shilpakala Academy, Dhaka Bangladesh, Adelaide – South Australia, Basserdorf Switzerland, Minnesota - Minneapolis-USA, Permanent Mission of Maldives, New York.