Splendors of Punjab Heritage: Art from the Khanuja Family Collection - Hardcover

by Parvinderjit Khanuja (Author)

Punjab, and especially Sikh art, has taken multiple forms ranging from scriptural manuscripts, floral adornments to illustrations and illuminations. This family collection showcases varied forms of jewelry, textiles, arms, coinage, along with construction of religious places and monuments. Murals and frescoes, paintings from Mughal, Punjabi and Pahari styles as well as calligraphy; all enhance the culture and add to its beauty. In addition, foreign artists such as Emily Eden, Shoefft, Soltikoff and other Europeans have left their imprint. The Khanuja Family believes encouragement of art is an essential element in enriching cultural heritage, upliftment of the human spirit, which eventually results in understanding, tolerance and interconnecting us all. This collection is a labor of love which started with an interest in listening to the history of Punjab from elders and subsequently reading about it. Over time with the help of Dr P Khanuja's daughter, Jasleen it evolved into this expensive passion of collecting artifacts and paintings over the last 14 years.

Author Biography

Dr. Parvinderjit Singh Khanuja is an oncologist and researcher who practices in Chandler and Mesa. He and his wife, Parveen, are members of Phoenix Art Museum's Director's Circle and Asian Arts Council. They also have a personal collection of Sikh art. Recently, Dr. Khanuja made a generous donation for a named space in the Museum's Asian Art Gallery that will be dedicated to displaying Sikh art. This space is one of only two such exhibit spaces in the country, allowing Phoenix Art Museum to present Sikh art on an ongoing basis.