ABOUT
Saima Rasheed’s work is meticulously detailed with intricate craftsmanship. Rooted in the traditional Mughal and Persian tradition of Miniature Painting, her multidisciplinary approach and current themes offer her style its unique identity. From unusually small and detailed paintings on paper to large scale digital print installations, Rasheed is bold in the expression of her ideas.
Rasheed’s work invites the viewer to share her journey as a woman, a woman of colour and a migrant, as it deals with the existential reality of minorities in Britain. Techniques of mark making and creating patterns in miniature art render the exposition of her ideas is subtle yet deeply moving. The use of metaphorical references from old masters form the myriad layers of her paintings while colonial imagery and personal photographs that populate her work draw upon themes of identity, race, gender and islamophobia.
Rasheed is a UK based artist. Born in 1977, she trained at the prestigious National College of Arts in Pakistan with a major in Miniature Painting. She has exhibited her work globally. In 2018, she was short listed for the Sovereign Asian Art Prize. In 2016, She was invited to display her work at the Colombo Biennale, Srilanka. In 2004, Rasheed was artist in residence at the Ecole de Art, Aix-en-Provence, France. During her residency, she held workshop, presented a talk and produced a group show. She is also a 2006 recipient of The Arts Council of England Award for an exhibition at The Bhavan Centre, London.
CV
Born in Lahore, Pakistan
BFA National College of Arts, Lahore
MA Fine Arts, Manchester metropolitan university, Manchester
Lives and works in Greater Manchester, UK
Solo Exhibitions
2018: ON BEING, Zellij Arts, Alexandria library, Asia Triennial Manchester, UK
2016: Conceiving Space’, Curated by Alnoor Mitha, Colombo Art Biennale 2016, Sri Lanka.
2015: Ajaib Gallery 1, Lahore, Pakistan
2015: Ajaib Gallery 11, Karachi, Pakistan
2014: Louver gallery, Karachi, Pakistan
selected Group shows
2020 world is at home, Tamsanat online gallery
2018: ATM18 @ The Manchester Contemporary with Alnoor Mitha, Saima Rasheed, Halima Cassell and others
2018: The 2018 Sovereign Asian Art Prize Finalists Exhibition, The James Christie Room at Christie’s, 22/F Alexandra House, 18 Chater Road in Hong Kong.
2017: The Portico Library, Manchester, Recollection: Memory & Time”
2017: The Craft Barn Hadfield, Derbyshire, United Kingdom
2006: The Bhavan centre, London, United Kingdom
Eastern echoes
2004 Exhibition at “Ecole De Art” Aix-en-Provence, France.
2002 Ejaz galleries, Lahore
2002 Rohtas gallery1, Islamabad
2001 Shahkir Ali museum, Lahore
2001 Rohtas gallery2, Lahore
2000-Thesis display at National College of Arts, Lahore
Press
https://inprogress.mmu.ac.uk/saima-rasheed/
http://www.bigissuenorth.com/centre-stage/2017/07/blog-saima-rasheed/
https://www.scmp.com/culture/arts-entertainment/article/2142561/sovereign-asian-art-prize-finalists-show-their
http://www.luxuo.com/culture/art/sovereignasianartprize-2018.html