Summary

Artist/Art Educator/Curator Born in Hunza, in the breathtaking region of Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. His early years and schooling were rooted in this mountainous landscape, which continues to shape my perspective and practice as an artist. In 2002, He graduated with an honours degree in Fine Arts from the National College of Arts in Lahore—a place that became the foundation of his creative journey. Years later, in 2015, he completed my MA in Art & Design with honours from Beaconhouse National University. He was fortunate to receive the UNESCO Madanjeet Singh Institute of South Asia Regional Cooperation (UMISARC) scholarship, which provided him with the opportunity to expand his understanding of artmaking within a broader regional and global context. Over the past 25 years, He dedicated himself not just to creating art, but also to building a community around it. As a visual artist from Gilgit-Baltistan, he feels a deep responsibility to give back to the region that raised me. Through my studio and voluntary work, he mentored and inspired a generation of young people from the North to pursue paths in art, design, architecture, filmmaking, theatre, and music. It has been gratifying to see their work flourish across Pakistan and internationally. He had the privilege to teach over 2,000 students at institutions such as the National College of Arts, National University of Sciences & Technology, Fatima Jinnah Women’s University, and the Pakistan National Council of the Arts. Many of these students are now making meaningful contributions to Pakistan’s creative economy, cultural heritage, and identity. His artistic journey has taken me far beyond borders. he participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions, artist residencies, and cultural projects across Pakistan, the UK, France, Spain, China, India, Germany, the USA, and beyond. One of the most memorable experiences was representing Pakistan at the Festival of Muslim Cultures in the UK (2005–06), and later during a residency at the Swansea Print Workshop in South Wales. In 2017, he curated Fuse—Protogenesis: The First Sino-Pak Youth Artists Tour Exhibition, which brought together emerging voices from both countries in a series of exhibitions across several cities in China. That same year, I was part of the CPEC Cultural Caravan, travelling the Silk Road from Dalian to Gwadar with Chinese artists—an unforgettable experience that culminated in an exhibition at the National Art Gallery. More recently, in 2021, he was honoured to represent Pakistan at “Colours for the Planet,” an artist camp in Andorra organised by the Andorran National Commission for UNESCO—an initiative focused on peace through cultural action. Since the beginning of his journey in 2000, he has continuously explored how art can question and respond to humanity’s impact on the planet. His work weaves together cultural heritage, landscapes, new technologies, and geopolitical shifts with urgent environmental themes—particularly global warming and climate change.

Academic Background

Honours and Awards