Basic Bio

Shahzia Sikander was born in 1969 in Lahore, Pakistan and attended the National College of Arts where she studied the tradition of miniature painting. She received her B.F.A. from there in 1992 and then moved to the States where she received her M.F.A from RISD. She currently lives and works in New York, New York.

When asked why she chose to study miniature painting she stated that she:

"was attracted to the inherent challenges of miniature painting. My interest was and still is to create a dialogue with a traditional form - how to use tradition while engaging in a trans-formative task. Over the years I have continued to try to understand miniature painting's historical significance and its contemporary relevance. I remain curious about its stylizations, and how illustrative it can be. Miniature even in its most traditional aspect is extremely multi-dimensional." (Berry, Ian.. Hough, Jessica. Nemesis. Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum.)

I really like her work because of her use of symbols, patterns, and narrative. There always seems to be a deeper meaning at a personal level from her.


She works primarily in vegetable color, dry pigment, watercolor, tea, gouche and sometimes uses graphite, acrylic, and collage.