Meet Afreen Khundmiri of Akartist in Johns Creek

Today we’d like to introduce you to Afreen Khundmiri.

Afreen, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
After the sudden death of my beloved father in 2011, I was searching for peace and the meaning of life. I wanted to do something my dad would be proud of. After a period of reflection, I realized that my dad found peace in helping the less fortunate through his work.

It hit me. I immediately rushed to the art store and bought a whole bunch of supplies and started painting. Surprisingly, I made my very first abstract art after ages, but I felt there was something still missing. It looked great but it was empty. It too needed purpose. (Funny how an intimate object, a thing, requires purpose whereas living things desire purpose.) I jumped on my computer and started searching for the Arabic word “Inshallah” (it means “God willing.”) After the paint dried, I transformed the artwork to Arabic calligraphy. I decided to share my very first calligraphy on Facebook but, I was nervous. I found purpose but, will I get acceptance? I finally gathered the courage and shared it. Two hours later, I received a personal message for my very first order. I knew right then that my dad was smiling down on me 🙂 After delivering my first commissioned order, I used the money to help uplift the less fortunate. At that moment, my purpose had found acceptance and I found a way to stay connected with my dad. Since then, I have been using proceeds to help the less fortunate and I’m also involved with many non-profit organizations in Atlanta. I auction my art pieces to raise money for their organizations.

Has it been a smooth road?
My relationship with dyslexia has been life long, and up until recently, I was not aware that this condition existed. Throughout my childhood in India, I struggled with reading, writing and pronouncing words. I struggled to understand why I was being punished for being different. I struggled quietly, knowing that I was different but I didn’t know what was wrong with me. I thought everyone had the same struggles and I was just not given enough time to learn. Then I thought school is just not for me so I started making excuses to avoid going to school. I had made every excuse possibly known to a pre-teen and my poor parents had heard it all, so I had to up the game for them to believe me. My frustration reached new heights. This time, things went too far and changed my life forever.

One morning I woke up fake crying so hard that my parents believed me and got extremely worried and rushed me to the hospital. Looking at how I was squirming, the doctor told my parents that the only other option was to cut me open to see what was going on. I remember the feeling of excitement, thinking I wouldn’t have to deal with school for a few months and that was the last thing I remember. Since I was complaining of lower abdomen pain, doctors, performed an appendectomy, even though I was never diagnosed with appendicitis. During surgery, something went wrong and I fell into a coma. I regained consciousness after 3 days and I will never forget the expression on my mom’s face when I opened my eyes. That incident changed me completely.

On the bright side, if there is one, I stayed home for three months, to recover. When I finally rejoined, I was a changed person and had decided to overcome my fears. God probably felt pity on me and sent a new foreign English teacher who helped me with reading and writing. And also I found solace in painting as a way to connect with others and more importantly, to prove my existence to others.

My disability has become my greatest ability… to enrich the lives of others, spread awareness of dyslexia and more importantly, create a bridge to understand each other as we all have our own struggle.

Please tell us about Akartist.
I specialize in Islamic calligraphy and Arabesque art using my signature technique with Plaster of Paris. Merging old world techniques with modern designs, I bring to life artwork that resonates with the new generation of art enthusiast, complimenting their lifestyle while connecting them to their rich heritage.

My artwork has gained popularity in recent years with the help of Social Media, and through partnerships with non-profits whom I’ve helped raise money for by auctioning my paintings. My paintings have also been selected to take part in a special event to mark Atlanta’s inaugural Day of Religious Pluralism at City Hall on April 4th, 2019. Through these and other activities, I have inspired a new generation of artists across the US to share their talents and further calligraphy and arabesque art.

I am so excited to have finally reached the point where I am opening my own art gallery in John’s Creek, Ga. Art is very personal and people like to experience and connect with the works before making an investment. The general theme of the gallery will be North African, Arabian, Persian, South Asian, Islamic and cultural art. Along with my art, I will be displaying work from other local and international artists. Construction is underway and I am targeting opening in May.

What were you like growing up? Personality wise, interest wise, etc.
Growing up in India, I was very optimistic, hard-headed, determined, focused and learned to never give up on myself. My entire life I fought to hide my dyslexia from other and I didn’t care too much for core curriculum and involved myself in extracurricular activities every chance I got. I won many awards in theatre, painting competitions, and fashion shows. To this day, I am known at my high school for my Charlie Chaplin performance. Not much has changed as far as my interests and my dislikes.

Contact Info:

• Phone: 6788523069
• Email: afreenkhundmiri@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/akartist/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1314962631957217/?ref=bookmarks

Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.