I am a Lahore based artist and writer. I received a Bachelors of Fine Art degree from the National College of Arts, Lahore in 2013 and a Masters of Fine Art degree from Parsons the New School for Design in 2016, where I studied on a Fulbright Scholarship. I have exhibited at Participant Inc, New York, 1×1 Gallery, Dubai, 12 Gates, Philadelphia, Gallery of Light, DUCTAC, Dubai, Canvas Gallery, Karachi, Koel Gallery, Karachi, Sanat Initiative, Karachi, Taseer Art Gallery, Lahore, and Rohtas II, Lahore. I currently teach at the National College of Arts, Lahore and also contribute to various art publications.

In 2016, I engaged some young people to help me make work for a new exhibition. I felt that the safe social space that formed during that time was transformative and healing for everyone. This experience shifted my work from an object based practice to a participatory approach. So, in my next art project I tried to recreate that safe social space. But I found galleries to be stressful spaces that put pressure on people to behave in a certain way. So I grew dissatisfied with the gallery system.

When I arrived in Zurich in 2017 for a residency, I thought it would be better that, instead of working from this problematic position, I use the opportunity to find a solution. I conceived Zurich Konversationen as a collection of conversations with people who employ the arts as a tool in their own practices in an attempt to make the world a better place. Through these conversations I am trying to better understand the role of art and artists in life and how the approaches discussed in the conversations can help me in my own practice.

https://zurichkonversationen.com/