Iraqi artist shares many cultures with glass paintings

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – When Alktra Farhan lived in Iraq, her religion put her life in danger. Now that she’s in Lincoln, Alktra is not afraid to share and celebrate the beliefs of many.

“I love painting,” Alktra said. “It is a part of my life. And I want to show others’ lives.”

Alktra grew up in Bahdad, and she practices Mandaeism, an ethnic religion that centers around prophets like John the Baptist. After completing middle school, Alktra enrolled in an art institute where she studied for two years. However, her education at the institute was cut short when women without hijabs were being killed in Iraq.

Since hijabs are not required in Mandaeism, Alktra was among the women at risk.

“My mom, she was very scared,” Alktra remembered. “She said, ‘We want to move to Syria.’ First time, I didn’t accept because I need to continue my education, but she said, ‘It is too dangerous right now.’”

The bombings caused her family to flee to Syria when she was 17. That’s where she took classes for refugees like how to cut and style hair. But she especially enjoyed classes that taught her to play guitar, create oil paintings and paint on glass.

Alktra says the Iraqi education system does not include a high school education, so it was difficult for her to continue schooling in other countries. She eventually received a certificate in the fine arts.

In 2010, Altra came to the United States. While living in Illinois, she learned English, worked at Goodwill, and met her husband. She moved from Illinois to California, until she, her husband, and children settled in Nebraska in 2018.

At first, English was difficult for Alktra, so she kept buying the wrong paints at Walmart. A kind friend let her borrow an Amazon Prime account, so she could experiment and buy glass paint online.

Eventually, she found support from ECHO Collective, a nonprofit that helps new Americans become entrepreneurs.

“I was delighted when I saw what she could do because we really don’t have anything like that in Lincoln,” said Kelly Ross, founder of ECHO Collective. “So I know she had a pretty exquisite niche.”

Ross invited Alktra to classes where she learned marketing and business skills. She helped grow Art by Alktra, a business dedicated to selling paintings on glass. Echo connected her with a contest held by a nonprofit for refugees called Hello Neighbor. She submitted a painting of interlocking hands, and it was selected as the logo for their national conference.

Alktra meticulously paints on mirrors, dishes, and flat surfaces, but she makes custom pieces based on requests. She washes the surface beforehand and uses toothpicks to manipulate the paint into nooks and crannies.

“Last time, I had a customer ask for a teapot with a flower,” Alktra said. “I hadn’t tried that before, but it’s okay. When it’s curved it’s a little difficult, so I have to be very careful.”

One of her favorite pieces is a painting of a cross with a white cloth draped over it, surrounded by jasmine. It’s called the Mandean darfash, or the Mandean cross.

“My people know about my paintings because of this picture,” Alktra said, holding up the cross painting.

Aside from her faith, Alktra creates artwork with symbols from other religions, such as Buddhism and Christianity. The state of Nebraska is also a huge source of inspiration for her. She lays out her masterpieces on her table at indoor craft shows, and among them are depictions of the State Capitol building, the Lincoln skyline, or Chimney Rock.

“I search a lot about everything from Nebraska,” Alktra beamed, gesturing to a ‘dream poster’ with photos and drawings of aspirations. “I love it. I love Nebraska. Nebraska is where I can have my dream and my education. It gave me a lot of things.”

She hopes to display paintings in her own studio and teach classes one day. But for now, she travels to craft fairs with her daughter Linda Farhan. At eight years old, she helps Art by Alktra set up for shows, and in the meantime, she is learning her mother’s craft too.

“It’s really cool to have these paintings because when she does hard stuff, it freaks me out,” said her eight-year-old daughter Linda Farhan. “It’s like so cool.”

Her goal is to sell her paintings to every home in Lincoln. But most of all, she wants to promote unity.

“It’s my personality,” Alktra said. “I don’t say, ‘Oh, this is a different religion.’ No, it’s every people. It’s nice. It’s good.”

Alktra says she is very grateful to the family and friends who helped her get to where she is today. Art by Alktra can be found on Facebook, Instagram (art_by_alktra) and Tiktok. Prices vary depending on customizations and shipping, but 8×10 glass paintings can range between $55-100.