- Biographic Note
Umaina Khan is a Karachi based multidisciplinary practitioner, holding a bachelors degree In Fine arts from Indus valley school of art and architecture. Primarily known for her vibrant palette and exploration of the female form in relation to “Male gaze.”
2. Artist statement
In this body of work, I am discussing the idea of dominant perspectives about a female body by the majority group within our society, observing and desiring women as objects of pleasure which almost dehumanises the body. This perspective tends to reinforce traditional gender roles and norms, reducing women to passive, decorative objects rather than fully developed characters with power and individuality.
Objectification of a female body represents no value but simply focuses on appearance and sexuality. Women are frequently depicted in ways that emphasize their sexual appeal and caters to the “majority gaze” more particularly, “male gaze.” My female figures are opposite to what you would perceive a woman to be, it critiques the idea of body perfectionism and allows women to be different, flaw-full and unapologetic.
- Review about artwork
What do we get from a bakery? Answer: breads, cakes and pastries. When do we usually have (or eat) cake? Cake symbolizes happiness or moments of joy. Now imagine the bakery being personified. Wouldn’t the whole idea would give off an entirely different vibe? This is what Umaina Khan’s artworks try to examine in an exhibition titled The Body Bakery,curated by Jamal Ashiqain, that concluded at the Art Chowk Gallery on Saturday.
While the curatorial note talks about men and women sacrificing their souls to the patriarchy — a justified topic — the show, in terms of the layers of meaning that the paintings on display contain, goes beyond that. Khan has certain flair to her art which adds creative zing to her ideas. The uninhibited use of lines and colours is indicative of the artist’s free spirited outlook on life. At the same time, there’s depth to it that comes forth in pieces such as ‘How many am I’ (acrylic on canvas). The exhibit reminds one of a verse by Nida Fazli:
Har aadmi mein hotay hain das bees aadmi
Published in Daily Dawn
4. Credentials
2021 ‘’Indus valley school of art and architecture Degree show’’ Karachi
2021 group show ‘’The protean place’’ Koel gallery, Karachi
2021 Art Festival “sambhara art gallery” Karachi
2022 Art festival “sambhara art gallery” Karachi
2022, potpourri, Koel gallery, Karachi
2022, “modern cults” Full circle Gallery, Karachi
2022 “Stars of tomorrow” art forum gallery, Lahore.
2022 “Out of the white” pinky gull Gallery, Karachi.
2022 “Fairytale 72” Canvas gallery, Karachi.
2022 “Jagah hai” a performative show, Gulgee Museum, Karachi.
2023 “National art exhibition” arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi.
2023 “emerging artist show” VM Art gallery, Karachi.
2023, Pakistan’s first NFT show curated by zain mursaleen, Karachi
2023 “Live painting at a Rave” at district 19.
2023 “Onwards and upwards” dominion art gallery,Lahore.
2023, “Beyond your limit” full circle gallery, Karachi.
2021 Anna molka award, exhibition, Anna molka gallery, Lahore.
2023 20Broadcast vol 2. O art space
2023 Annual collection show, gallery 6. Islamabad
2023 “we don’t belong here” Koel gallery, Karachi
2023 “women art and social change” Napa, Karachi
2023, All Female Show, Artciti Gallery, Karachi.
2023, Sharjah art fair ( zine exhibit with Vasl ) Sharjah.
2024, grand art festival “port grand” Karachi.
2034 Open studio, curated by Umaina Khan featuring IVS alumni, including herself in her
studio, Karachi.
2024, Art show at Kayal curated by Fs Karachiwala, Karachi.
2024 Colabs collective virtual love festival, Lahore
2024 Art doumentor project ( india )
2024, The Body bakery ( solo presentation ) Artchowk the gallery, Karachi.
2024 “Badan darida” artchowk gallery, Karachi
2024 group show, Ejaz art gallery, Lahore.
2024, IVS ALUMNI SHOW, IVS gallery, Karachi.
2024 TWR rave live painting, mew’s cafe, Karachi
2024 “Candy forest” World culture festival Pakistan co curated by Umaina khan, arts council
of Pakistan, Karachi.
2024 Conversations from the past, curated by umaina khan Artchowk the gallery, Karachi
2024 Resilience rikshaw live painting, Karachi
2024 A home care, performance at karachi bienale, sambhara art gallery, Karachi.
2024 Behind the scene, world culture festival, arts council Karachi.
2024 All that is wild, also blooms. IVS gallery, Karachi.
2024, Hyphenated, lahore
2024 Garden of the arcane delight, moti choor performance, artchowk gallery, karachi.
2024 Curator for Urdu almi conference ‘karachi reels’ arts council of Pakistan, Karachi.
2024 Curator for Nigah art awards, mohatta palace Karachi. (performance “the mystical
garden”)
2024 Ways of existing, gandhara art gallery, Karachi.
2025, Solo performance at the opening of the gulgee museum, Karachi.
2025 Curator for a polo show auctioneer at Lahore polo ground, Lahore.
2025 Female charisma, artciti gallery, Karachi.
2025 Curatorial confessions panelist, arts council of Pakistan, Karachi.
2025 No way to be good at Soho house, Hong Kong
2025 Arts council of pakistan and indus valley school of art and architecture collaborative show
(curated by Umaina khan ) Acp Karachi.
2025, “Terrarium” Koel gallery, Karachi
2025 Brush hour ( series of live paintings hosted by umaina khan and farrukh shahab ) Acp
Karachi.
- ( Currently working on a solo show )