Three by Three: Guest Artists in Focus

QUESTION 2.    Pieces like Kalash Valley and Mystic Flotilla draw from cultural memory and ancient narratives. What draws you to translating history and heritage through paint rather than words?

• ANSWER 2.     Kalash Valley painting is a part of my series on Kalash theme exhibited in my solo show in 2021. I wanted to show their life, dresses, culture, values and hardships through my work. Sometimes what we read is not enough without seeing it. The visual representation makes a lasting impact on a civilization we do not know much about due to their remoteness and lack of digital media exposure. Even now they seem to be immersed in their age-old customs and rituals while we have forgotten ours and only do things which are globally found acceptable.

  Mystic Flotilla is a part of my series for my solo show expected in 2026. This particular painting is close to my heart. The plight of the Palestinians can be seen all over the world and read about but very few have been able to do anything about it. The collective which launched the Flotilla and the reason behind it was to help them when the world leaders were silent. A woman began this with a small attempt and despite the hurdles, each time she came back with a larger force till the final one which was this Flotilla. This painting has a message of perseverance, life, hardships and success, the things I am unable to articulate in words about that woman.

Fauzia Khan
Painter

MEDIUM:    oil and acrylic

BIO:    Fauzia Khan is a Karachi-based Pakistani visual artist with a professional career spanning over four decades. She began painting in 1979 and emerged prominently on Pakistan’s art scene in 1991. A multi-disciplinary artist, she works in oil, acrylic, watercolor, calligraphy, glass, and stone painting, and is widely recognized as a pioneer in using natural stones and glass in their original forms as artistic mediums. Her celebrated “Roots Series” established her unique artistic identity, blending nature, spirituality, and cultural heritage. Fauzia Khan is the first Pakistani artist to perform live painting synchronized with Sufi kalam and Qawwali and is the creator and host of Pakistan’s first art-focused television program, Tere Rung Rung. She has held over 25 solo exhibitions and participated in more than 100 national and international group exhibitions. She continues to work actively on art and environmental awareness projects.

FACEBOOK:    FauziaKhansWorks

QUESTION 3.    Your practice increasingly engages with environmental and climate awareness. How do you approach those themes in a way that invites reflection rather than instruction?

• ANSWER 3.     All my work has always been on a theme with a message. Usually it is related to the environment because I have a natural affinity with nature and have been feeling the plight for decades. My work, for years, has tried to show the importance of nature around us and the warning to show it is crying for help, for us to take notice of it before it is too late.

  It is only in recent times so much focus has finally shifted to environmental awareness thanks to the global climate change affecting everyone and that has made me even more determined to do more to create awareness. My expected solo show of 2026 is mostly focused on saving our mangroves which are dying without people noticing. Once they are gone, the climate change would take a turn for the worse so it is imperative to do something before it is too. My work will reflect the importance of mangroves and even trees etc to our environment in hopes people will see and reflect on it and be inspired to work harder in saving our surroundings before it is too late. The exhibition will not only have paintings but a visual representation along with written articles about it to create awareness.

QUESTION 1.    Your work moves between realism, abstraction, and spiritual symbolism. What usually guides that shift — subject matter, emotion, or an intuitive pull while painting?

• ANSWER 1.    Life and painting goes hand in hand. One is something we cannot avoid and the other is my passion. As we go through our day and chores we come across many things and experiences which shape our thinking and how we want to portray it in our work. Before every exhibition over the years, I always have a vision and a message I want to portray with a particular subject in mind. An example would be my signature roots series and Kalash series or my last one, Flowers. As I research the topic I have in mind, it automatically guides me on the best way to portray it either in realism, abstraction, or spiritual symbolism and at times a mix of everything. Though in some cases, spiritual symbolism comes from my subconscious while painting which I see clearly once the painting starts taking shape. In some cases I make a conscious decision on what way to take the painting to show my message. This all originates from my belief that Allah is the great Creator and His art is all around us and that is also what guides me to decide which medium and style is best for that particular subject.

Mystic Flotilla, Oil, 48x26

All copyright and reproduction rights are reserved by Fauzia Khan.
Artwork may not be reproduced in any form without the artist's express written permission.

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Kalash Woman Life, Oil, 48x24

Mohandas Valley, North Pakistan, Oil, 48x30