Soraya Sikander

Soraya Sikander ثريا سكندر is an expatriate artist of Pakistani origin, known for woodblocks, ink drawings & sea inspired, oil on canvas landscape paintings of United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates & Pakistan.

Soraya Sikander
Sikander with her painting
Education
OccupationArtist
Years active2009–present
Works
  • Calligraphy Landscape
  • Karachi Mangroves
  • A Winter's Tale (Night)
  • The Punjab Landscape
Spouse(s)
Dean Glen Majoor
​
(m. 2019)​
Websitewww.sorayasikander.com

Early life

Born to an Indian Father and Pakistani Mother, Sikander spent her childhood traveling and residing in various countries, including parts of Europe. In 2008, she graduated from Beaconhouse National University, Lahore, and launched her career in a group show of Indian and Pakistani art, held in Dubai. In 2012 she went on to study at University College London Slade School of Fine Art's Summer School. In 2014 she trained in old masters style, classical academic training at the London Atelier of Representational Art LARA.

Artist

In early 2009, the artist began a project that depicted the state-of-the-world in a recession.

This resulted in a huge panel, oil on board, nearly 5 by 8 feet, in size that portrayed Adam smith, a symbol of capitalism, leading on to a vague, shadowy silhouette and ultimately resulting in a skull. The panel titled ‘The story of recession’ was described by art critics as "timely", "current", "expresses the situation" and "gives the whole picture" (Recession on canvas, Business Recorder 22 August 09) and further: "Remarkable… In a series of quick fire portraits she demonstrates the gradual visual regression of the father of capitalism from solid Teutonic traditionalism to the ultimate inevitable finale represented by the empty skull. The gradual falling off is not quite Hegelian, as no conflict is discernible in the dialectic, but a gradual corrosion of an icon" (Interpreting the recession, Dawn Gallery, 23 August 09).

By October 2009, for an exhibition at 'National Art Gallery of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Sikander used a series of elongated figurines painted in cubist style, to draw attention to deconstruction.

In February 2010, a solo exhibition followed, titled 'A floral symphony'. The exhibition that debuted at Unicorn Gallery used flowers as a metaphor. The entire bodies of work produced for this exhibition consisted of oil on canvas paintings, and ink on paper drawings, inspired by the Japanese art of woodblock print, of which the artist had made a personal study, particularly the printsof Japanese Manga Masters. The artist's work is described as socio-political art."She deals with current issues. Her selection of theme is timely as before when she did a series of paintings titled ‘recession".[1] This new approach of using the bright colours of nature as a messenger of non-violence was described as a "symbol of peace, promoting tolerance and non-violence in such volatile times.".[2]

Post Recession and Floral Symphony the artist launched a series titled 'Exotica', a journey in identity. The theme was inspired by Sikander's multi-cultural, multi-religious background. In her 2013 solo exhibition at unicorn gallery Soraya Sikander debuted her new style of painting, dubbed 'The calligraphy landscape'.

Exhibitions
Solo exhibitions
  • 2018 – Solo show: 'Inscape 2018', Unicorn Gallery, Lahore
  • 2017 – Solo show: ‘Inscape – exploring inner landscapes’, Unicorn Gallery, Lahore
  • 2014 – Solo show: ‘In, at and around’, Alhamra Arts Council, Lahore
  • 2013 – Solo show: ‘In, at and around: exploring urban space’ Unicorn Gallery, Karachi
  • 2010 – Solo show: 'An Ode to nature', Grand Trunk Road Art Gallery, Singapore
  • 2010 – Solo show: 'A Floral symphony', Unicorn Gallery, Karachi
Group exhibitions
  • 2020 – Group show: 'Hunar Art 2020', Online International Art Exhibition
  • 2019 – Group show: 'Voices', Elham Art Gallery, Ras Al Khaimah
  • 2019 – Group show: '100 years of Hilton', Waldorf Astoria, Ras Al Khaimah
  • 2015 – Group show: ‘Embassy Art’, Galerie Patries Van Dorst, Wassenaar, Netherlands
  • 2013 – Group show: ‘Awaaz baldia inferno’, Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi
  • 2012 – Group show: ‘New art from Pakistan’, La Galleria Pall Mall, London
  • 2012 – Group show: ‘Slade Summer Show 2014’, University College London, Slade school of fine art, London
  • 2011 – Group show: ‘Art from Pakistan’, Pakistan High Commission, London
  • 2010 – Group show: ‘Art without boundaries’ Total Arts, Dubai
  • 2010 – Group show: 'The Golden collection', Unicorn Gallery, Karachi
  • 2009 – Group show: 'International artists: a meeting of international minds', National Art Gallery of Bangladesh, Dhaka museum, Dhaka
  • 2009 – Group show: 'Recession', Unicorn Gallery, Karachi
Art Fairs And Biennales
  • 2019 – Biennale: ‘A Colorful world and a shared future’ 8th International Artist Beijing Biennale, National Museum of China, Beijing
  • 2018 – Biennale: ‘Resurgence’ Lahore Biennale 01 collateral event, Lahore
  • 2017 – Biennale: ‘Silk road and world civilization', 7th International Artist Beijing Biennale, National Museum of China, Beijing
  • 2016 – Art Fair: ‘RAK Fine Art Fair 2016’ National Museum of Ras Al Khaimah, Ras Al Khaimah
Private Viewings
  • 2020 – Private viewing: Select Group, Pacific Al Marjan Island, Ras Al Khaimah
  • 2020 – Private viewing: Unicorn Gallery Unlimited, Dubai
  • 2011 – Private viewing: NM Art Gallery, Dubai
  • 2008 – Private viewing: Kohinoor selection, Unicorn Space, Dubai
Projects
  • 2020 – Projects: Contemporary Nature Murals, Mural Paintings Project, Commissioned by Delhi Private School, Ras Al Khaimah
  • 2010 – Projects: Contemporary Pakistani Artists (Paperback) General Books LLC, ISBN 9781156558416 Barnes and Noble
  • 2019 – Projects: Sharjah Expo, Art workshop in collaboration with the Sharjah Museum / Sharjah Heritage institute at Sharjah Expo Centre, Sharjah
  • 2019 – Projects: Art Collaboration with Bill Zhao, Art collaboration painting with Chinese Master Artist Bill Zhao during the 8th Beijing International Art Biennale, Beijing
  • 2014 – Projects: Conditioning in art: Images without context, Art Lecture for TED talks, TEDx event at NED University, Karachi
Bibliography
  • 2019 – Bibliography: The Album of the eighth Beijing International Art Biennale. China 2019 compiled by China Artists Association
  • 2018 – Bibliography: Resurgence, Lahore Biennale 01 collateral event catalogue
  • 2017 – Bibliography: The Album of the seventh Beijing International Art Biennale. China 2017 compiled by China Artists Association
  • 2016 – Bibliography: Ras Al Khaimah Fine Art Fair 2016 catalogue in collaboration with the National Museum of Ras Al Khaimah
  • 2015 – Bibliography: Oxford Companion to Pakistani Art encyclopedia, Oxford University Press
  • 2013 – Bibliography: In, at and around: exploring urban space, Noorani Press – With essays by Professor Gerda Roper, Juliet Highet, Marjorie Husain, Dr. Akbar Naqvi, Mohsin Jaffri, MS Kureshi

Reviews
  • 2011 – ‘Vitality and versatility’, The Nation London
  • 2011 – ‘Question of peace, answer of art’, The Gulf Today
  • 2011 – ‘At one with Nature’, Art & Culture, Khaleej Times
  • 2010 – ‘The Golden Collection of vivid scenic beauty’, Business Recorder
  • 2010 – ‘The Golden Collection pays homage to the country’s soil’, Daily Times
  • 2010 – ‘Rustic art, a piece of gold’, Dawn Gallery
  • 2010 – ‘Flower power’, The Pulse, Business Recorder
  • 2010 – ‘Make flowers, not war’, Nigaah arts and culture from South Asia
  • 2010 – ‘Seeking solace in colours of spring’, Business Recorder
  • 2010 – ‘Celebrating nature, not terrorism’, Daily Times
  • 2010 – ‘Soraya’s painting exhibition’, The Leader
  • 2010 – ‘Sapphic Tales’, Dawn Gallery
  • 2009 – ‘A meeting of minds’, Arts and Entertainment, The Daily Star
  • 2009 – ‘Emotions coloured, emotions captured’, Star Weekend magazine
  • 2009 – ‘Interpreting the recession’, Dawn Gallery
  • 2009 – ‘Recession on canvas’, Business Recorder
  • 2009 – ‘Fun-e-Musawari’, Muqadamma
  • 2009 – ‘Musawari ko urooj’, Awam
  • 2009 – ‘Art in Pakistan’, Regional Times
  • 2009 – ‘A place in the sun’, Gulf News

References
  1. Seeking solace in colours of spring, Art facts, Business Recorder, 13 March 2010
  2. Make flowers, not war, emerging artist, Nigaah Arts and culture from South Asia, 26 March 2010
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