Ajay Kumar at 17:00, 23 July 2023

2023-07-23T17:00:14Z

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{{notability|Biographies|date= October 2021}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}
{{Infobox artist
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| name = Iloosh Ahluwalia
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| nationality = Indian
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| education = Lawrence School, Sanawar
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'''Iloosh Judge Ahluwalia''' is an Indian artist, "brand ambassador", and businesswoman.

==Life==
Educated at [[the Lawrence School, Sanawar]], where she began to paint in earnest, Ahluwalia married an [[Indian Army]] officer and has two daughters. In 1998 she began to sell her paintings at exhibitions in [[Delhi]].<ref name=sohnikurhi>N. D., ''[http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050123/society.htm#3 This sohni kurhi is going places]'' from ''[[The Tribune (Chandigarh)|The Tribune]]'' dated 23 January 2005, at tribuneindia.com, accessed 25 March 2012</ref>

In the early part of her career Ahluwalia painted human figures, mostly women and children, often using only the palette knife and focussing on the eyes.<ref name=chopra>Suneet Chopra, ''[http://www.expressindia.com/fe/daily/19991116/fle14040.html The world that is India] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001118121000/http://www.expressindia.com/fe/daily/19991116/fle14040.html |date=18 November 2000 }}'' dated 19 November 1999 at expressindia.com, accessed 25 March 2012</ref> She said of this preference in 2011 {{blockquote|I first used knife about fifteen years ago and then I found it to be much more fun. You don't have to have a brush. One can paint every single detail with a knife. You can literally play with colours.<ref name=nehra>Shikha Nehra, ''[http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/metroplus/article2373394.ece Give me some sunshine]'' dated August 19, 2011, at thehindu.com, accessed 26 March 2012</ref>}}

In painting figures, Ahluwalia likes to showcase the huge range of clothes worn by women around the [[Indian subcontinent]], including traditional and tribal dress.<ref name=chopra/> For several years she specialized in painting pretty Indian girls, or "sohni kurhis", in oils on canvas. These often resembled the artist herself and sold well, both in India and in [[London]], appealing to those who like art to be decorative and easy on the eye. Until 2005. Ahluwalia held at least two exhibitions a year in Delhi, and they always sold out. She also became a [[Page 3|"Page Three"]] celebrity and was much photographed by the [[paparazzi]].<ref name=sohnikurhi/>

On [[International Women's Day]], 2004, Ahluwalia was among the notable Indian women artists who came together for an art festival at the [[Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts]] "Mud House" which was opened by [[Bhavna Chikhalia]], Minister of Culture and Parliamentary Affairs. She exhibited a "sohni kurhi" of which Manohar Khushalani wrote that "Her brush work displayed a remarkable control on the craft and a realism which was almost photographic".<ref>Manohar Khushalani, ''[http://www.stagebuzz.info/PAGES/ARCHIVES/womencanvas/womencanvas.htm Celebrating Women with Colours on Canvas] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170208123801/http://www.stagebuzz.info/PAGES/ARCHIVES/womencanvas/womencanvas.htm |date=8 February 2017 }}'' at stagebuzz.info, accessed 25 March 2012</ref>

Ahluwalia has been called a "society painter",<ref name=sohnikurhi/> while her work has been described as "shining with optimism".<ref name=chopra/>
She was also a "brand ambassador" for the Uppal's Orchid Hotel, a five-star hotel in [[Delhi]],<ref name=sohnikurhi/><ref>''India Today International'' (Living Media International Ltd, 2006), p. 33</ref> now called The Orchid, and launched her own [[perfume|scent]] called "Sohni Kurhi".<ref name=sohnikurhi/>

In 2005, she was diagnosed as suffering from [[glaucoma]] and advised to stop painting for the sake of her eyes. After surgery she did less new work.<ref name=nehra/> In 2007, a new exhibition at the [[India International Centre]] was entitled "Sea Urchins".<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080108125341/http://www.hindu.com/2007/08/23/stories/2007082362110300.htm Engagements], from ''[[The Hindu]]'' dated 23 August 2007, accessed 25 March 2012</ref>
In August 2011, after a break of four years, Ahluwalia and her daughter Malika opened a joint exhibition at the Arpana Fine Arts Gallery, near [[Siri Fort]], called "Walking on Sunshine", when she explained her wish to celebrate the benefits of sunshine.<ref name=nehra/>

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/news/passion-chocolate-canvas-so-tempting-to-resist/36038 Passion: Chocolate canvas so tempting to resist!] at ndtv.com (video with Iloosh Ahluwalia)

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ahluwalia, Iloosh Judge}}
[[Category:1970s births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Lawrence School, Sanawar alumni]]
[[Category:Indian women painters]]
[[Category:Indian Sikhs]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian women artists]]
[[Category:Ahluwalia]]

Iloosh Ahluwalia - Revision history

Ajay Kumar at 17:00, 23 July 2023