(JTA) — Anish Kapoor, a British Jewish artist, was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.
Kapoor, a native of Mumbai, India, was recognized last week for his services to the visual arts as part of the Queen’s birthday honors list for 2013.
Kapoor, 59, is the son of a Hindu father and Jewish mother. His grandfather was a cantor at a synagogue in Pune, India, according to the Jewish Chronicle.
He lived for two years in the 1970s with his brother on a kibbutz in Israel, where he discovered his talent for art, particularly sculpture. He then returned to Britain to attend art school.
Kapoor has received numerous international honors for his works. Many are made from polished stainless steel and are on display around the world.
In 2010, he completed a work commissioned for the Israel Museum in Jerusalem called “Turning the World Upside Down, Jerusalem.”
