BIO:
Zahrah Ehsan is a visual artist from Pakistan currently based in Finland studying MA in Visual Cultures, Curating and Contemporary Arts from AaltoUniversity School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Finland. She received herBFA with Honours in 2012, with a concentration in Painting from the NationalCollege of Arts, Lahore. Her training at NCA has allowed her to expand theboundaries of her practice through experimentation in Painting, installationphotography and performance. She has furthered her practice by exhibiting ingalleries across Pakistan and internationally, as well as participating in aninternational residency at the Vermont Studio Center, USA. Zahrah returned to her alma mater aftergraduation, where she designed and taught a number of studio and theory basedcourses including Painting and Drawing, Fine Art Seminar.
Zahrah has been experimental with her work having scavenged for possiblematerials from industry, popular culture, and utility incorporating it into herpaintings that is mostly a critique on the gendered body, social conformity,notions of socially constructed and enabled childhood.
Education:
2012 BFA, National College of Arts, Lahore, Pakistan.
2018 MA, Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Finland.
Professional Experience:
Feb 2015 – Present: Visiting Lecturer at National College of Arts, Lahore
Courses: 2nd and 4th Year Painting
2nd, 3rd and 4th Year Drawing
2nd, 3rd and 4th Year Art Seminar
Egg Tempera Elective
Painting Elective
2017: Fine Arts Course Co ordinator at National College of Arts, Lahore
Fine Arts Co ordinator at National College of Arts, Lahore
2015 4th Year Painting Course
2016 2nd Year Painting Course
2017 3rd Year Painting Course
2018 4th Year Painting Course
Aug 2014 – Dec 2014: Teaching Associate at the National College of Arts, Lahore
Courses: 1st and 3rd Year Art History
Feb 2018 - Present: Art Instructor at Ray Academics, Lahore
Feb 2010 – Present : Visual Artist
Selected Group Exhibitions
2019 (Upcoming) Imago Mundi Project, Imago Mundi Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, Italy
2019 How Can We Keep The Chaos, ACUD Macht Neu, Berlin, Germany
2018 Histories in the Present, Väre - Aalto University of Arts, Design and Architecture, Finland.
2018 Un-Thinking 2-Person Show, Canvas Gallery, Karachi
2018 River In An Ocean - Collateral Event of LB01, Lahore Biennale 01, Lahore, Pakistan
2017 Five Sides of a Square, Canvas Gallery, Karachi
2017 Of Other Spaces, at an abandoned house in Lahore, Pakistan
2017 This Tiny Garden That We Tend, Taseer Art Gallery, Lahore
2016 Monochrome Monologue, The Paint Bucket, Lahore
2015 Till Human Voices Wake Us, Canvas Gallery, Karachi
2015 Parvaaz, Studio Seven Gallery, Dubai
2015 Nescafe Dolce Gusto, A Contemporary Art Experience, by Canvas Gallery, Mohatta Palace, Karachi
2014 New Art Works in collaboration with House 21 and Gulmohar, Launch of Spring 2014 Home Decor Collection, The Paint Bucket, Lahore
2014 As Time Goes By…, My Art World Gallery, Islamabad
2014 Resolving The Two Rights, The Paint Bucket, Lahore
2014 Presence of Absence, Full Circle Gallery, Karachi
2013 Welcome to Pink, BFA Degree Show, National College of Arts, Lahore
2013 New Romantic, Rohtas Gallery, Islamabad
2013 The Distance between Me & You, Taseer Art Gallery, Lahore
2013 In Search of Ground, Taseer Art Gallery, Lahore
2013 Limbs - Anatomy of Images, Attic Studio, Al Hamra Art Gallery, Lahore
2013 Parallel Spectrums,The Paint Bucket, Lahore
2012 Hide and Seek, The Paint Bucket, Lahore
2011 Red Hot, Alhamra Arts Council, Lahore
2011 Photography Exhibition - Group Show, Zahoor ul Ikhlaq Gallery, Lahore
2011 Correspondence, Zahoor ul Akhlaq Gallery, Lahore (a collaborative project involving 13 students each from University of Mozarteum, Salzburg, Austria, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA and National College of Arts, Lahore, Pakistan)
2011 Open Studio, Attic Studio, Al Hamra Art Gallery, Lahore
2010 Young Artist Exhibition, Alhamra Art Council, Lahore
Residencies:
2017 Vermont Studio Center, Vermont, USA
2013 Attic Studio, Alhamra Art Gallery, Lahore, Pakistan
Curation:
2017 This Tiny Garden That We Tend, Taseer Art Gallery, Lahore
2016 Forty One - Second Year Fine Arts Exhibition, Zahoor ul Akhlaq Gallery, Lahore
2015 Till Human Voices Wake Us, Canvas Gallery, Karachi
2013 Limbs - Anatomy of Images, Attic Studio, Al Hamra Art Gallery, Lahore
2013 In Search of Ground, Taseer Art Gallery, Lahore
2011 Correspondence, Zahoor ul Akhlaq Gallery, Lahore (a collaborative project involving 13 students each from University of Mozarteum, Salzburg, Austria, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA and National College of Arts, Lahore, Pakistan)
2011 Photography Exhibition - Group Show, Zahoor ul Ikhlaq Gallery, Lahore