International Artist Feature: Pakistan

For this article in the international artist series, we turn to Pakistan,
featuring six unique artists who create fantastic work, from stunning vector
art to digital paintings and more! I asked each artist how
their
country and
culture inspired their work, and they delivered fantastic answers.
Enjoy!

Shehzil Malik

Shehzil is an illustrator and designer
based in Lahore, Pakistan. Her work features incredible digital
illustrations inspired by her passion for social change. Check out
a small selection of her work below, or see more in herportfolio.

Breaking News Illustration

I would the say the conversations you have in Pakistan are some of the
most self reflective and analytical ones I've ever experienced.
Provided that you're talking to someone you trust, a conversation can
range from issues of identity, beauty, religion, science, culture,
humanity, terrorism, and freedom. Everyone here
is a philosopher in their own right!

Illustrations for Patari

Oddly enough, it was my exposure to other cultures that has made me dig
deeper into my own art and find authentic representations of what I see
around me. This includes drawing women of color, using patterns and
designs from local architecture, and creating with color palettes from other cultures. There is a lot to be inspired by!

The Living Dead

Religion Police Media Army

The art community feels divided. There are the serious fine artists, the young emerging pool of digital artists and
illustrators, and a section of graphic designers left to their own
devices! I mostly follow them on
Instagram!

Zohiab Younas Ansari

Zohiab is an illustrator and digital artist
based in Lahore, Pakistan. His work features epic 3D
illustrations inspired by music and pop culture. Check out
a small selection of his work below, or see more in his portfolio.

Guns & Music

Well honestly, the food culture in Pakistan is just ridiculously good. From the
restaurants to the street markets, it's one of the major things that I love about Pakistan.

Ultimate Machines

There
are numerous ethnic groups here and everyone has their own unique
style. But I don't think that the culture and region has really
influenced my work until recently.

Guns & Music

Ultimate Machines

The art community is still developing and evolving, although it
also suffers from a lack of connection with the wider international art arena.

Abeer Kasiri

Abeer is an artist
based in Karachi, Pakistan. Her work features beautiful digital paintings of portraits and charming scenes. Check out
a small selection of her work below, or see more inher portfolio.

Self Portrait

It is a treat to live in Pakistan due to the huge array of cultures. I
have been lucky enough to live in a metro city like Karachi. It has
allowed me to be exposed to all kinds of different cultures and has had a very positive impact on my artwork.

Indian Dancer

With time, I have become more skillful and have developed a unique
art style. So for me, art is not limited to culture or a region. Instead, I wish to
change the outlook of people. Bullying and body shaming is still very
prevalent in today’s world, and I wish to uproot this menace through my
art.

Mischief Managed

The Family

Pakistan is still developing as an art community, however, the people here are not aware of digital art and how it works.
The art community is small but very supportive. Art is the way we communicate. I love how artists are breaking
stereotypes and creating awareness through their work.

Shahroz Iqbal

Shahroz is an illustrator based in Karachi, Pakistan. His work features colorful illustrations with adorable animals and inviting characters. Check out
a small selection of his work below, or see more in his portfolio.

Ma Pa and Nunu

What I love about living here is the sense of safety while living with
my family, and having a respectful identity. I also love the freedom of speech and the sense of belonging.

Botina's Birthday

Pakistan has a wide variety of culture due to a vast number of ethnic
groups presently living here, so we can't pick one culture and say this culture
represents Pakistan.

I've worked on a wide variety of projects with
different requirements and influences and find that
I'm more adaptable to the job presently at hand.

Moo Moo

Detective Toetoe's Misadventure

The art community in Pakistan has a lot of talent but the opportunities are limited because it's still making
progress towards improvement. I hope that more and more animated films start are made in
Pakistan and that more opportunities are made available for a variety of multi-talented artists living here.

Mahrukh Saleem Ansari

Mahrukh is an illustrator and graphic designer
based in Karachi, Pakistan. Her work features colorful illustrations full of inviting culture. Check out
a small selection of her work below, or see more in her portfolio.

Book Design

Pakistan has a rich history and culture with many traditions that have shaped its
territory. It's a multi-faceted domain full of a wide variety of people
and languages, with each of its five provinces boasting a unique set of
art, literature and theater. It's great to live in a country that
promises an ever changing lens! It's a vivid kaleidoscope that should be
appreciated and showcased to the world!

Illustrated Travel Cookbook

I live in the metropolitan hub, Karachi, which is also one of the major
cities, and it makes a huge difference for me. The freedom of expression here
is far greater than it is for other areas.
Karachi has an old city area which evokes nostalgia with its
architecture and street spaces, and then there are the more modern city districts full of high rises and development. Both dynamics
influence design and art.

Book Design

Illustrated Travel Cookbook

It's exciting! The art community is very welcoming of young artists and
designers, and they're ever so ready to collaborate with young people. It is
in its initial stages, but headed in the right direction and growing
with every passing year.

Shaheera Mughal

Shaheera is an artist
based in Islamabad, Pakistan. Her work features various creative mediums from paintings to cool book sculptures. Check out
a small selection of her work below, or see more in her portfolio.

Harry Potter Book Cut

Honestly, this is the only place where I could ever truly belong, where
the color of my skin or the way I dress doesn’t make me too much of an
odd ball. Even
faced with its flaws, the people here refuse to give up their zest for
life and still cling to their sense of humor. People here are vibrant,
loud and love food. The country also contains a lot of
natural beauty to calm the mind and soul.

Essence

Although I haven’t lived in Pakistan for a long time, I've had a chance
to explore the country and see its natural beauty. Most of my work tends
to combine various elements to create
something which appears surreal and fantastical. It also presents a
pictorial expression about spiritualism with subtle undercurrents of
struggle and strife.

Beyond the Boundary

Harry Potter Book Cut

Art is still considered something of a novelty here, but it is starting
to gain public interest slowly and there are various galleries and art
councils actively trying to promote its awareness. But unfortunately,
it’s still going slowly.

Many thanks to the artists who took time to answer my questions
and share a bit about themselves and how their country and/or culture
has affected their work. You can check out more of their work in the
links below:

• Shehzil Malik
• Zohiab Younas Ansari
• Abeer Kasiri
• Shahroz Iqbal
• Mahrukh Saleem Ansari
• Shaheera Mughal