Education
MAY 2008
Masters of Fine Arts (Studio Arts)
University of Maryland, College Park, MD
JAN 2004
Bachelors of Fine Arts (Concentration in Miniature Painting)
National College of Arts, Lahore, Pakistan
Exhibitions
SOLO/ Two-person
Dec 2022 The Sindhu Project: Enigma of Roots, Satrang Art Gallery, Islamabad, Pakistan
Apr 2022 The Sindhu Project: Enigma of Roots curated by Shaleen Wadhwana, parallel programming at American Center, New Delhi, India
Apr 2022 The Sindhu Project: Enigma of Roots curated by Shaleen Wadhwana, Exhibit 320, New Delhi, India (catalog)
Nov 2021 The Sindhu Project: Enigma of Roots at Zahoor Ul Akhlaq gallery NCA, Lahore, Pakistan
Jun 2021 The Sindhu Project: Enigma of Roots curated by Lise McKean, South Asia Institute, Chicago, IL (catalog)
Feb 2020 Danyore at Herter Art Gallery at UMass Amherst, MA
Dec 2018 Gentle War curated by Brian Curtin, Gallery OED Cochi, India
Sep 2018 Naming the Dead for ArtPrize at The Ruse Escape Rooms, Grand Rapids, MI
Jan 2018 Naming the Dead at Spaces, Cleveland, OH
Sep 2017 "You are Now Leaving the United States of America" at Waubonsee Community College, Sugar Groove, IL
Oct 2016 IWM Contemporary: Mahwish Chishty. Curated by Sara Bevan. Imperial War Museum, London
Jun 2015 AIR exhibition at Chicago Cultural Center. Chicago, IL
Dec 2003 Thesis exhibition held at National College of Arts, Lahore, Pakistan
GROUP
Dec 2023 Surviving the Long Wars: Transformative Threads at Chicago Cultural Center, Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) Hall, Chicago, IL
Mar 2023 Surviving the long wars organized by Aaron Hughes, Ronak K. Kapadia, Therese Quinn, Joseph Lefthand, and Amber Zora at Hyde Park Art Center and Newberry Library, Chicago, IL
Jun 2022 Shakerag Faculty Exhibition at St. Andrew’s-Sewanee Gallery, Sewanee, TN
Mar 2022 Art exhibition as part of Buddhism in Pakistan: history, archeology, art and architecture conference at Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA), Islamabad, Pakistan
Oct 2021 More is More: Visual Richness in Contemporary Art at Judith Bear Isroff Gallery, Akron Art Museum, OH
Nov 2019 Truth as a Contested Concept curated by Indira Johnson at Women Made Gallery, Chicago, IL
Sep 2019 Border Control exhibition curated by Allison Collins at STAMPS gallery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Aug 2019 1 Roof 2 Airs curated by Katayoun Amjadi and John Schuerman at South Dakota Museum of Art, Brookings, SD
Jul 2019 E-Pluribus: Reflection on 9/11 at The Firelands Association for the Visual Arts, Oberlin, OH
Mar 2019 Perilous Bodies curated by Jaishri Abichandani and Natasha Becker at The Center for the Social Justice at Ford Foundation, NYC
Dec 2018 Since time immemorial at Galley ORD Cochin, Kerala, India
Nov 2018 Dis-illusions curated by Zahra Mitra at OED gallery, Kochi, Kerala, India
Nov 2018 SPACES Is 40 & Fabulous!, auction Gala at Spaces, Cleveland, OH
Oct 2018 Faculty show at Kent State University art gallery, Kent, OH
Oct 2017 Age of Terror: Art Since 9/11, Imperial War Museum, London, UK
Sep 2017 E PLURIBUS: Reflections on 9/11 at Kent State University art galleries, Kent, OH
Aug 2017 Heavy Metal curated by Theresa Bembnister at Akron Art Museum, Akron, OH
Jun 2017 "YOU, ME, US ,WE", auction in association with Planned Parenthood at Downtown Gallery, Kent OH
Apr 2017 Washington Project for the Arts (WPA) Auction Gala exhibition curated by Jefferson Pinder, Washington, D.C.
Jan 2017 Rayguns, Robots, Drones: Technology's Peril and Promise curated by Courtney Gilbert. Sun Valley Arts Center, ID
Jan 2017 Biennial Faculty Show at CVA Gallery. Kent State University, OH
Dec 2016 E PLURIBUS: REFLECTIONS ON 9/11 at Silent Funny, Chicago, IL
Sep 2016 E Pluribus -- Reflections on the Fifteenth Anniversary of 9/11 curated by Barbara Koenen. UNUM, Chicago, IL
Jun 2016 Remote Connections at The Arrowhead Room gallery, curated by Cecilia Vargas. Waubonsee Community College, Sugar Grove, IL
Feb 2016 This is Our War, in conjunction with Maplewood High School, Vanderbilt University and The Smithsonian American Art Museum at Red Arrow Gallery, Nashville, TN
Nov 2015 Red Arrow Retrospective & 2016 Preview at OZ Arts Nashville, curated by Katie Shaw, Nashville, TN
Aug 2015 Crossfire: Collaborative works by Khadim Ali, Sher Ali & Mahwish Chishty at Gandhara Art gallery, Karachi, Pakistan
Jun 2015 Hybrid's Paradise at Evanston Art Center, Evanston, IL
Mar 2015 From Heaven to Hell. Magic carpets and drones at Boghossian Foundation– Villa Empain. Brussels
Mar 2015 Sensor, FotoFest at Silver Street Studios. Houston, TX
Mar 2015 Security in Our Society: What Remains of Our Personal Freedoms? at Art Souterrain, Montreal, Canada
Feb 2015 Panopticon, Main gallery at Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, Salt Lake City, Utah
Jan 2015 Border Cultures: Part 3 (Security, surveillance) at Art Gallery of Windsor. Ontario, Canada
Oct 2014 In Missa Interfectionis at Stephen Romano Gallery, Brooklyn, NYC
Jun 2014 Mysterium Cosmographicum, Stephen Romano Gallery, Brooklyn, NYC
Apr 2014 Welcome to the Dreamtime, Stephen Romano Gallery, Brooklyn, NYC
Jan 2014 Metro Show 2014 with Stephen Romano. Manhattan, NYC
Oct 2013 Trace Recordings: Surveilance and identity in the 21st Century at UTS Gallery, University of Technology Sydney, Australia
Oct 2013 Air Rights at Taubman College Gallery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
May 2013 The Art of War, International Museum of Women Muslima, San Francisco, CA
Mar 2013 16th International Open at Women Made Gallery, Chicago, IL
Sept 2012 SCREEN Projects, The Jones Center at The Contemporary Austin, Austin, TX
Sept 2011 OPTIONS 2011, Washington Project for the Arts, Washington, DC
Aug 2011 Ikono TV, publication of paintings, Berlin, Germany
Jun 2010 con-TEXT-ual-ize at Chesapeake Gallery, Hartford Community College, Bel Air, MD
Apr 2010 Amnesty International Human Rights Art Festival, Silver Spring, MD
Jun 2009 PERSPECTIVE: Women, Art & Islam at Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts, Brooklyn, NY. In conjunction with Muslim Voices, NYC’s first Muslim Festival
Feb 2009 Multi-Media Exhibition: Contemporary Trends at Marlboro Gallery, Largo, MD
Nov 2008 Washington Square Sculpture Invitational, Farragut North, Washington D.C.
Oct 2008 Interlinked at Ejaz Art Gallery, Lahore, Pakistan
Jul 2008 2008 Montpelier Sculpture Exhibition at Montpelier arts center, MD
Jun 2008 CONVERGENCE at Maryland Art Place, Baltimore, MD
May 2008 Thesis exhibition, The Art Gallery at University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Nov 2007 WILD THINGS at the Montpelier Arts Center, Laurel/ Bowie, MD
Nov 2007 THINKSMALL 4 at Art6, Richmond, VA
May 2007 Midpoint Show at the Union Gallery, Stamp Student Union, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Nov 2006 Participated in a group show at Union Gallery, Stamp Student Union, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Feb 2005 Participated in a group show at West Gallery, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Nov 2005 International Miniature Invitational Biennial 3, THINKSMALL 3 at Art and Artspace galleries, Richmond, VA
Jul 2005 RADIUS 250 at Artspace gallery, Richmond, VA
Sep 2004 Group exhibition held at Canvas Gallery, Karachi, Pakistan
May 2004 Group exhibition held at Rohtas Gallery, Lahore, Pakistan
May 2004 Group exhibition, Rohtas Art Gallery, Islamabad, Pakistan
Reviews
June 2022 'The Sindhu Project: Enigma of roots' probes shared histories via art and archaeology by Rahul Kumar, STIR World, India
Apr 2022 Reimagining fractions of a shared heritage by Dyuti Roy, The New Indian Express, India
Nov 2021 NCA showcases ‘The Sindhu Project: Enigma of Roots’ by the Newspaper’s Staff Reporter, Dawn, Lahore, Pakistan
Nov 2021 ‘The Sindhu Project: Enigma of Roots’ exhibition kicks off at NCA by Hassan Naqvi, Bol News, Pakistan
Aug 2021 Art Exhibition In Chicago Explores Enigma Of Lost Indo-Pak Heritage by Mrinali Dhembla, The Friday Times, Pakistan
Aug 2021 More in Common, a review of The Sindhu Project: Enigma of Roots by Susan J. Musich, Sixty Inches from Center, Chicago, IL
Nov 2019 NON-FICTION: 9/11 AND ITS DISCONTENTS by Dr Muhammad Abdullah in Dawn newspaper, Pakistan
Nov 2019 Two globally renowned artists visit the School of English, The University of Sheffield, School of English, UK
Sep 2019 Stamps Gallery and New Media Caucus Present Border Control: Traversing Horizons in Media Practice, Hyperallergic
Sep 2019 “E. Pluribus” Recontextualizes 9/11 in Analysis of Conflict by Casey Troost, The Oberlin Review
Jun 2019 Perilous Bodies by Mengna Da, The Brooklyn Rail
Apr 2019 Dangerous Art: A Stark But Inspiring New Exhibit by Diane Cole, NPR
Apr 2019 Perilous Bodies: Personhood as Seen Through the Eyes of Two International Curators at Ford Foundation Gallery by Katie Hector, ARTE FUSE
Feb 2019 FOR CURATORS OF COLOR, JOURNEY TO UTOPIA BEGINS WITH ‘PERILOUS BODIES’ by Diana McClure, AFROPUNK
Feb 2019 Ford Foundation Fosters Independent Curators and New Talent with Social Practice Gallery by Jasmine Weber, Hyperallergic
Nov 2018 Barevné drony Mahwish Chishty by Jaroslav Beránek, Vojensky Historicky Ustav Praha
Sep 2018 STATE OF THE ART by Scott Suttell, Crane’s Cleveland Business, OH
Sep 2018 Don’t Miss ‘Naming the Dead’ and Ruse Escape Rooms at ArtPrize 10 by Matt Milhouse, The River 100.5
Sep 2018 Top 20 Jurors' short list released for ArtPrize 10 at Newschannel 3. Grand Rapids, MI
Sep 2018 ArtPrize Jurors Announce Shortlist by Charlsie Dewey, GR|MAG, Grand Rapids, MI
Sep 2018 ArtPrize jurors announce top 20 shortlist and five top venues, ABC 13, Grand Rapids, MI
Sep 2018 Here is the ArtPrize 10 jurors’ shortlist, FOX 17, West Michigan
Jul 2018 Kent State President Beverly J. Warren Announces 2018 Faculty Excellence Award Recipients, Public now, OH
Feb 2018 Despite its flaws, 'Age of Terror: Art since 9/11' is a timely reflection of artists' responses to conflict, by Cormac Rae, Design Curial, London, UK
Feb 2018 Playwright and Visual Artist Talk About Their Drone-Related Projects at SPACES, Cool Cleveland, OH
Dec 2017 ‘Age of Terror: Art since 9/11’ at Imperial War Museum London by Christine Takengny, Contemporary Art Society, London, UK
Nov 2017 Art in an age of terror by Daniel Nelson, One World, London, UK
Oct 2017 Review: Age of Terror: Art since 9/11 at IWM London by David Aaronovitch, The Times, London, UK
Oct 2017 Graduate and professor in Imperial War Museum exhibition alongside major art names by Kate Miller, Brighton School of Art, UK
Aug 2017 Akron Art Museum Goes for the Gold (and Other Metals) by Marie Elium, Northeast Ohio Boomer and Beyond, OH
Aug 2017 Art Notes: Akron Art Museum goes 'Heavy Metal' by Dorothy Shinn, Beacon Journal art, Akron, OH
Jul 2017 Akron Art Museum's 'Heavy Metal' exhibit explores uses, cultural significances of metals by Megan Becka, Cleveland.com
Jul 2017 Akron Art Museum presents the sometimes weighty, sometimes lighthearted Heavy Metal, Downtown Akron Partnership
Apr 2017 Guggenheim Foundation Announces 2017 Fellows, ARTFORUM
Apr 2017 Three Indian-Americans, one Pakistani-origin artist win prestigious Guggenheim fellowship by Ela Dutt, News India Times,
Mar 2017 Pushing the boundaries by Nigel Smith. Transformer, London, UK
Mar 2017 Robohub Digest 02/17: Asilomar AI principles, robot tax, drone art and Super Bowl LI by Alex Kirkpatrick and Jana Witt, Robohub Digest
Mar 2017 Pakistani Artist to tell of Folk Art on War Machines by Karen Bossick, Eye on Sun Valley, ID
Feb 2017 Miniature Military Drones Decorated in a Pakistani Folk Art Tradition by Kirsten O'Regan, Hyperallergic
Feb 2017 Drones, by Design: Mahwish Chishty and the Politics of Representation by Tausif Noor, MOMUS, London, UK
Feb 2017 Live radio interview with Gurvinder Gill (Senior Broadcast Journalist) for BBC Asian Network. London, UK
Jan 2017 "The Center to unveil new ‘Rayguns, Robots, Drones’ exhibit" by Andy Kerstetter, Idaho Mountain Express, ID
Jan 2017 IWM Contemporary: Mahwish Chishty, ArabLondon, London, UK
Dec 2016 Tour The Center's newest exhibition, Times-News Magic Valley, ID
Nov 2016 Military drones meet colourful folk art in the Pakistani-American artist’s works by En Liang Khong, Financial Times, London, UK
Nov 2016 "Ceci n'est pas un drone: A new art exhibition at the Imperial War Museum makes spy planes that are good for
anything but", Esquire. London, UK
Oct 2016 "Swet Shop Boys, Drone Art", Radio interview with Tina Daheley for BBC World Service, The Cultural Frontline. London, UK
Oct 2016 "Drone art makes the invisible visible", South London Press, UK
Oct 2016 "CODA" by Frances Allitt. Galleries Magazine, London, UK
Oct 2016 "Mahwish Chishty's Drone Art at the Imperial War Museum" by Shah Jahan. AFTER NYNE, London, UK
Oct 2016 "Imperial War Museum exhibits a selection of 2D and 3D works from Mahwish Chishty's Drone Art series". Art Daily.org
Oct 2016 "Five art shows to see this week: British Museum, Walker and more|28 October – 3 November" by Alice Primrose. Royal Academy of the Arts, London, UK
Sep 2016 "Drones are inspiration for novel Pakistan art", Royal Air Force News, London, UK
Sep 2016 "IWM Contemporary: Mahwish Chishty" by Matt Breen. Timeout. London, UK
Sep 2016 "Pakistani Visual Artist Mahwish Chishty to Design Drone Art for Company of Fools Production of GROUNDED" by Broadway World
Sep 2016 Drone Art, Imperial War Museum by Culture Whisper, London
Sep 2016 "Company of Fools to present ‘Grounded’ starting Sept. 28" by Andy Kerstetter. Idaho Mountain Express, ID
Sep 2016 "IWM London is Changing" in Imperial War Museum newsletter, London
Aug 2016 "Imperial War Museum to host art exhibition exploring the cultural impact of drones" by Jessie Thompson. Evening Standard Arts, London
Aug 2016 "Mahwish Chishty to open her first solo international exhibition at IWM London". Asian Voice, London, UK
Mar 2016 "Drones for Art, Not War" by Lauren Sigfusson, Drone 360
Feb 2016 "Maplewood students, Pakistani artist deliberate on drones" by Sara Estes, The Tennessean, Nashville, TN
Feb 2016 "Maplewood High School Students Change Perceptions Through Art" by Rebecca Pierce. Nashville Arts, TN
Jan 2016 “Chicago Shout-outs”, written by Lise McKean. Bad At Sports
Aug 2015 "Crossfire" by Shanzay Subzwari. Art Now: Contemporary Art of Pakistan
Apr 2015 "Considering the Drone (through Art)", Review of exhibition Sensor by Brian Piana, Houston, TX
Apr 2015 "FotoFest Exhibition Shines Spotlight on Hidden World of Drone Warfare" by Michael Hardy, Houstonia
Mar 2015 "Exhibition explores flight and surveillance in East and West" by Ian Mundell. Flanders Today, Brussels
Mar 2015 "Heaven & Hell" Boghossian Foundation by Virginie De Borchgrave. Quo Vadis ART.be
Mar 2015 "Heaven and Hell" by Jean-Marie Wynants. Le Soir mad
Mar 2015 "The Art of Drone War: Drone Art and Lit from the Middle East" by Nahrain Al-Mousawi, MEMO Middle East Monitor
Feb 2015 "Must-Sees This Week: February 26 to March 4, 2015". Canadian Art
Jul 2014 "On View: Mysterium Cosmographicum” Group Show at Stephen Romano Gallery by Nastia Voynovskaya, Hi Fructose
Jun 2014 "Mysterium Cosmographicum Group Show at Stephen Romano Gallery" by Gail Worley, NYC
May 2014 "Do Drones Dream of Electric Sheep?" Arte Magazine
Feb 2014 Video interview with DSE-TV. Filmed by Kimon Kotos and produced by Digital Spectrum Enterprises, West Michigan
Nov 2013 "Artists use surveillance technology to explore extent we are monitored" by Andrew Frost, The Guardian
Jul 2013 "From Pakistan with Love" by Syed Ammad Tahir, MAG the weekly
Jun 2013 "Drones As Folk Art a Pakistani artist reimagines America's death machines", by Josh Harkinson, Mother Jones
Jun 2013 "Pakistani Folk Art And Drones Collide In Ornate Paintings" by Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan. Gizmodo, Australia
Jul 2013 "Finally: A Drone for Dropping Rhymes, Not Bombs" by Meghan Neal, Motherboard
Jun 2013 "Drones and Art" by Paul Schmelzer, Eyeteeth: Incisive ideas
Jun 2013 "Art fiend: Contemporary Muslim women speak out" from Inpapermagazine, Dawn newspaper
Oct 2011 "'Options 2011' combines minimal and conceptual art" by Mark Jenkins, The Washington Post
Aug 2009 "Perspectives: Women, Art & Islam" by Holland Cotter. The New York Times
Aug 2009 "FIVE TAKES ON ISLAM", Interviewed by Siddhartha Mitter for WNYC
May 2009 "Reinvented, Repurposed" by Kate Carroll, published in THE GAZETTE and THE STAR. Prince George’s County, MD
May 2008 Interviewed by Jack Livingston for RADAR magazine, Baltimore, MD
May 2007 Interviewed by Li Koo for the Midpoint show at Union Gallery, University of MD
Jan 2004 THE NEWS on Sunday newspaper, Interviewed by Asim Akhtar, Lahore, Pakistan
PUBLICATIONS/ Catalogues
Nov 2019 Literary and Non-Literary responses Towards 9/11: South Asia and Beyond edited by Nukhbah Taj Langah. Routledge India
Oct 2019 Insurgent Aesthetics: Security and the Queer Life of the Forever War by Ronak K. Kapadia. Duke University Press
Feb 2019 Ford Foundation Fosters Independent Curators and New Talent with Social Practice Gallery by Jasmine Weber, Hyperallergic
Jan 2019 Beyond Borders by Jan Senn, Kent State Magazine, OH
Oct 2018 Subjective Atlas of Pakistan publication, printed by Oxford University Press
Jun 2018 Silhouettes for Colour: An interview with Mahwish Chishty by Nahal Sheikh
Aug 2018 Scopic Regimes, Drones, and the Visual Turn in International Relations by Kyle Grayson and Jocelyn Mawdsley, E-International Relations
Apr 2018 Imago Mundi publication Lines in the Sand | Contemporary Art from Pakistan, Venice, Italy
Jan 2018 Literary and Non-literary Responses Towards 9/11 edited by Nukhbah Taj Langah. Routledge India
Apr 2018 Interviewed for Rustbelt Reformers project with students from Citizens Leadership Academy, Cleveland. OH
Jan 2018 Most Interesting People 2018: Mahwish Chishty by Sheehan Hannan, Cleveland Magazine, Cleveland, OH
Jan 2018 Let’s Go Fly a Kite, Guggenheim Recipient to Use Kites to Connect Children Across the Globe by Sala Levin, TERP University of Maryland, MD
May 2017 Death from the Skies: Meet 2017 Guggenheim Fellow / KSU Associate Professor Mahwish Chishty by Douglas Max Utter, CAN journal, OH
Apr 2017 TWO ARHU ALUMNI AWARDED 2017 GUGGENHEIM FELLOWSHIPS, University of Maryland, College of Arts & Humanities, MD
Jan 2017 "US Drone War in Pakistan: Images + Visual Graphics" by Maliha Ali. Bennington College Crossett Library
Jan 2016 Faculty Feature, interview for Kent State University, Kent, OH
Dec 2016 Beauty and callousness: the world of drone art by Mary Ryder. Open Democracy
Nov 2016 "Barbara Koenen: CCRx, UNUM Gallery, and a Studio of Her Own" by Lise McKean, Bad at Sports, Chicago, IL
Apr 2016 "Fotofest 2016 Biennial Catalogue" by Fotofest, Houston, TX
Feb 2016 "Weekly Roundup 2/15/16", Center for the Study of the Drone at Bard College
Dec 2015 "Border Cultures”, edited by Srimoyee Mitra, Black dog publishing, London, UK
Nov 2014 Cover illustration for “After the Dead Are Counted: U.S. and Pakistan Responsibilities to Victims of Drones Strikes” by Open Society Foundation, NYC
Sep 2014 "The Drone Primer: A Compendium Of The Key Issues" published by Center for Study of the Drone, Bard College, NY
Jul 2014 "War Machines" by Lee Yew Leong, Asymptote Journal
Jun 2014 Vinyl album cover for Aphasia by Filastine, Barcelona, Spain
Apr 2014 Book cover for Guernica, revisited by Richard Vargas, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Dec 2013 "Predator", OOMK print issue 2. South Kilburn Studios in North London, UK
Dec 2013 "Drones are not dangerous: normalization, new journalism, and the new drone culture", by Hamdan Azhar. The State, Vol IV: Dubai
Nov 2013 "À l'aube de l'ère des drones" by Claire Richard, Nouveau Projet. Montreal, Canada
Oct 2013 "Air Rights: an exhibit by Drone Research Lab" by Michael Abrahamson. Archinect, Ann Arbor, MI
Aug 2013 "DroneART, a Product of Surveillance Criticism" by Anna C. Natale at the Federal University of Mato Grosso, Brazil
Jul 2013 "The Aesthetics of War" by Rachel Hamel, Dubai, UAE
Jul 2013 "Speed enforced by (armed) drones? Nope - artist installs fake traffic signs" by Nidhi Subbaraman. NBC News Technology
May 2013 "An Interview with Pakistani artist Mahwish Chishty Of Drones and Dreams" by Valerie Behiery. Islamic Arts magazine
Mar 2010 "Art and Polemic in Pakistan Cultural, Politics and Tradition in Contemporary Miniature Painting" by Virginia Whales, London, UK
Jul 2009 Article published in THE INDYPENDENT, NYC
Feb 2004 "Contemporary Asian Artist III: Contemporary Miniature Paintings from Pakistan" by Virginia Whiles and Naazish Ataullah. Fukuoka Asian Art Museum
Dec 2003 "The Image of the Woman in Contemporary Miniature Painting", Interviewed by Christine Bruckauer for her book, Lahore, Pakistan
AWARDS
Apr 2019 Outstanding Research and Scholarship Award, Kent State University, OH
Mar 2019 Ohio Arts Council Individual Awards, Columbus, OH
Feb 2019 The New Agency by MOCA Cleveland, OH
Apr 2018 President's Excellence Award, Kent State University, Kent, OH
Dec 2017 Invitational artist residency, Spaces World Artists Program (SWAP), Cleveland, OH
Nov 2017 Nominated for distinguished achievement in research faculty award, Kent State University, Kent, OH
Oct 2017 Nominated for Makers Muse Award, Kindle Project, NM
Apr 2017 Recipient of Guggenheim fellowship
Nov 2014 Artist in residence at Chicago Cultural Center. Grant supported by The Joyce Foundation
Jan 2011 Invited residency at Montgomery College, Takoma Park/ Silver Spring, MD
Jan 2004 National College of Arts, Lahore, Pakistan: Haji Sharif Award (Excellence in Miniature Painting) and Shakir Ali/Kipling Award (Highest Merit Award)
Jun 1997 Islamabad Federal Board, Pakistan. Scholarship granted for attaining top position in Secondary School Certification
LECTURES/ WORKSHOPS/ RESIDENCIES
Jul 2022 Crosstown Arts residency, and artist talk, Memphis, TN
Jun 2022 Miniature Painting: Nature, Shakerag Workshop, Sewanee, TN
May 2022 Shared Histories ; Strangers Across Borders - A Daak Letter Exchange in collaboration with The Sindhu Project, Delhi
May 2022 Panel discussion: The Sindhu Project: Enigma of Roots with Naman P. Ahuja, Ph.D., Zohreen Murtaza, Shaleen Wadhwana and Gunjan Kumar at American Center New Delhi, India
Nov 2021 The Sindhu Project - Voices of the Indus Valley, virtual presentation across borders on artifacts from the Indus Valley Civilization
Feb 2020 Visiting artist in Sculpture at University of Iowa
Nov 2019 Aesthetics of Drone Warfare, panel discussion with Tomas van Houtryve at Curzon Sheffield, UK
Nov 2019 Artist talk, Site gallery, Sheffield, UK
Nov 2019 Keynote speaker at NEoN Re@ct Social Change Art Technology symposium, Dundee, Scotland
Sep 2019 Panel moderator: Images of Mexico at Border Control symposium, Ann Arbor, MI
Sep 2019 EPluribus: Reflections on 9/11 panel talk and open conversation at FAVA, Oberlin, OH. Other panelists: Jiyul Kim, Matthew Deibel,
and Barbara Koenen
Jun 2019 The Studios at MASS MoCA residency, North Adams, MA
Mar 2019 Kite making workshop at Morning Creek elementary school, San Diego, CA
Jun 2018 Panel discussion: Negotiating the Art World: Strategies for Underrepresented Artists, sponsored by The Sculpture Center, Cleveland, OH
Apr 2018 Recipient of Stoneleaf Retreat, Upstate New York
Mar 2018 Kite making workshop at Sonia Shah Memorial School, Kangra, Pakistan
Mar 2018 Kite making workshop, Roosevelt International Middle School, hosted by Spanish Village Art Center, San Diego, CA
Feb 2018 A conversation with Mahwish Chishty and 'Grounded' playwright George Brant at Spaces gallery, Cleveland, OH
Jan 2018 Lecture on current project at Cuyahoga County Juvenile Detention Center, Cleveland, OH
Nov 2017 Artist talk at Akron Art Museum, Akron, OH
Nov 2017 Workshop and lecture at Waubonsee Community College, Sugar Groove, IL
Oct 2017 Live interview, Made-up with Danny Volk, The Nightlight, Akron, OH
Jul 2017 "Creating Visual Patios: Extending regional forms to conceptual ones", panel discussion with Ambreen Butt, Shahzia Sikander and
Khalil Chishtee at Asia Society and Queens Museum, NY
Jun 2017 Recipient of Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts, Nebraska City, NE
Feb 2017 Artist talk at Sun Valley Arts Center, ID
Feb 2017 Lecture at Boise State University, Boise, ID
Nov 2016 Chicago Humanities Festival: Drones R Us, panel discussion at Rubloff Auditorium, Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Oct 2016 Covert War and Cultures Colliding at Imperial War Museum with Lisa Barnard and Clare Carolin, London, UK
May 2016 Need Some AIR? Panel discussion at Gene Siskel Film Center, Chicago, IL
Feb 2016 Visiting artist lecture and presentation at Vanderbilt University's Art Department
Nov 2015 Recipient of Vermont Studio Center residency
Jun 2015 Recipient of Yaddo residency
Apr 2015 Got AIR? Artists in Residencies panel discussion for Lake FX, Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, IL
Mar 2015 Artist talk at FotoFest - SENSOR, Silver Street Studios. Houston, TX
Feb 2015 Panel discussion: Images of War: What is Forgotten, How Do We Remember? at Art Gallery of Windsor, Canada
Apr 2014 Presentation at Alexander Graham Bell Elementary School, Chicago, IL
Mar 2011 Lecture and presentation on gouache at Montgomery College, Takoma Park/ Silver Spring, MD
Nov 2010 Lecture and presentation at Sudan University for Science & Technology, Fine Arts Department. Khartoum, Sudan
Nov 2010 Lecture and workshop at Khartoum American School. Khartoum, Sudan
Nov 2010 Presentation at Rashid Diab Arts Center. Khartoum, Sudan
Jul 2010 Lecture presented at Unity Productions Foundation, Washington, D.C.
Dec 2009 Visiting artist for Color Theory class at Montgomery College, Takoma Park, MD
Aug 2008 Instructor for calligraphy workshop at Muslim Community Center, Silver Spring, MD
Jun 2008 Instructor for brush-making workshop at Artomatic, Washington D.C
May 2008 Participated in Cuisine Des Artisties for D.C. Arts Center
PERMANENT COLLECTIONS
Imperial War Museum, London, UK
Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, Fukuoka-Shi, Japan
Foreign Office, Islamabad, Pakistan
Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts, Nebraska City, NE
Virginia Whiles, London, UK
James Kempner, Houston, TX
Dan Mouradian, Chicago, IL
Andrew Garrett, Chicago, IL
Douglas Morrison, Chicago, IL
Spudnik Press, Chicago, IL
Lise McKean, Chicago, IL
Salima Hashmi, Lahore, Pakistan
Nausheen Anwar, Lahore, Pakistan
Asfia Butt, Lahore, Pakistan
Samina Rehman, Lahore, Pakistan
TEACHING
Fall 2019 - current
Associate Professor of Art
University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
Fall 2016 - 2019
Assistant Professor / Foundations Coordinator
Kent State University, Kent, OH
Fall 2013 - Fall 2016
Lecturer
School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Painting Studio: Multi-Level Course
Painting Practice
Drawing Studio: Multi-Level Course
Spring 2014 - Fall 2016
Adjunct Professor
Harold Washington College, Chicago, IL
Beginning Drawing
Two Dimensional Design
Art Appreciation
Fall 2012 – Spring 2013
Professorial Lecturer
George Washington University, Washington, DC
Painting: Visual Thinking
Fall 2011 – Spring 2013
Lecturer
Montgomery College, Takoma Park/ Silver Spring, MD
Color Theory and Application
Design Studio: Two Dimensional
Spring 2011 – Fall 2012
Teaching Assistant
University of Maryland University College, College Park, MD
ARTT 354, Elements of Computer Graphics
ARTT 250, Elements of Commercial Design
ARTT 479, Advanced Computer Graphics
Spring 2006 - 2008
Teaching Assistant
University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Drawing Fundamentals
2-D Design Fundamentals