WARDHA SHABBIR
PakistanVisual practitioner and contemporary miniaturist Wardha Shabbir, born in 1987, is based in the city of Lahore Pakistan. She graduated from the prestigious National College of Arts, (NCA), Lahore, with her Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts (BFA Hons.), receiving Honours, in 2011, where she also merited the Principal’s Honour Award. During her academic career at NCA, Shabbir was awarded numerous scholarships and grants as well as being selected for an exchange programme in Paris, with the Ecole des Beaux Arts, (2006-‘10). Additionally, she received the best young artist Award from Al Hamra Gallery, Lahore, in 2011. She is also an educationist, having taught at her alma mater since 2013 where she also served as a Visiting Assistant Professor till 2021.
Since graduating, Shabbir has exhibited widely on national and international platforms. She was the first artist from Pakistan selected for FLACC Belgium, where she initiated a research-based experiment on the human sensorium while transforming a two-dimensional miniature painting into a three-dimensional interactive environment. In 2016, she participated in the Summer Intensive Programme at the Slade School Of Fine Arts, London. In addition, Shabbir has exhibited at DAS (Dhaka Art Summit)-2014, Scope (Basel), Contemporary Istanbul-2011, Abu Dhabi Art Fair, 2020, Indian Art Fair (2012 & 2019, 2022), Artissima 2021- Italy, Art Dubai 2022– Solo Booth (Bawwaba Section), as well as numerous group exhibits in the world.
Her solo exhibitions include “If A Tree Could Wander” Alhamra Arts Centre, Public Institution in Lahore, Pakistan, “The Water You Seek” 2022 at Grosvenor Gallery London, “Green Matter” at Canvas Gallery, Karachi 2021; ‘In a Free State’ at Grosvenor Gallery, London, 2019; “The Space Within” at Canvas Gallery, Karachi, 2018; “Of Trees and Other Beings” at Rohtas II, Lahore, 2016; and “Many Metamorphoses “at Rohtas II, Lahore, 2012. Shabbir was among the finalists for the esteemed Jameel Prize 5 (2018), Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), London where her work was exhibited, and travelled to other venues, including the Jameel Arts Centre, Dubai in 2019.
She has been invited as a Panelist at various platforms including the FLF (Faisalabad Literature Festival) 2022, LLF (Lahore Literary Festival),2023 and Art Basel Hong Kong ; A Conversation On Ink and Miniaturism 2023.
Shabbir has also given workshop and lectures on Miniature Painting at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) 2018, London UK, Master Class on Miniature Painting at Art Abu Dhabi 2021, Workshop on the Introduction of Miniature Painting at MISK Institute , Riyadh, Saudi Arab, 2023.
She has been nominated twice for the Sovereign Art Prize, (2019 and 2020.) Shabbir’s work is in well-reputed private and corporate collections in Switzerland, Berlin, Dubai, Abu Dhabi ,India. As well as various prominent collections in Pakistan, India, UK, USA and Canada. Her work has been acquired by the British Museum, UK and Kiran Nadar Museum, India in 2023.
Text courtesy Sabrina Amrani.
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