Years active 1998–present Name Faiza Khan | Role Activist | |
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Born 1975 Abbottabad, Pakistan Occupation Artist, Curator, Activist Education University of the Punjab, University of Oklahoma, Army Burn Hall College | ||
Faiza khan
Faiza Khan (née Ayub) is a Pakistani visual artist, curator and activist, born in Abbottabad, Pakistan in August 1975. She is an expressionist and abstract oil painter, combining social-political issues and complex human emotions in her creative evolution. Khan's work has been exhibited in Pakistan and the United States of America.
Contents
- Faiza khan
- Early life
- Education
- Personal life
- Art career
- Social political activism
- Advocacy
- Major exhibitions
- References
Early life
Khan is the first child of Prof. Ayub Sabir and Shirin Ayub. Her father taught at the Government College of Abbottabad, who wrote several books and essays pertaining to the Pakistani poet and philosopher, Allama Iqbal. Dr. Ayub Sabir has also been awarded the Presidents Award of Pride of Performance by the govt. of Pakistan on 23 March 2006, ceremony held at Governor house, Khyber Pakhtunkha, Pakistan. Khan's mother, also an artist, gave up visual art after marriage to raise Faiza along with her two brothers. Khan had revealed a passion to draw and paint as early as five years old, however, she did not receive formal artistic training until later years. She studied at Army Burn Hall College Abbottabad from class prep (1980) up to higher secondary level (1993).
Education
Khan completed her BA from University of Punjab, Lahore Pakistan, after receiving her secondary education at Abbottabad, Pakistan. She then trained in studio painting and post graduated from the University of Oklahoma, in the United States of America. Apart from art, Khan completed certificate courses in Web Development, Java and C++ from private institutes.
Personal life
Khan married Dr. Malik Imad Khan in 2001 and has two daughters, Aleeza Khan born on 23 October 2002 at OU Medical Center, Oklahoma and Reem Khan born on 11 July 2004 at Abbottabad, Pakistan. She returned to Pakistan from the US in 2003 and lives in Islamabad, Pakistan, with her family now.
Art career
As early as 1998, Khan has successfully been exhibiting her paintings. She commenced her art career by participating in different group shows at student as well as senior level. Khan continues exhibiting in Pakistan and abroad. Her solo exhibit of figurative paintings, in 2009 at Hunerkada College of Visual and Performing Arts, received outstanding reviews by art critics. Khan has been exhibiting her work every year after that.
Social-political activism
As an artist, Khan took it upon her to raise awareness and create platforms for promoting dialogue and encourage social reforms in Pakistan. Khan also founded RASTAY, an organization to cultivate pluralism in Pakistani society through art and activism.
United - In the Age of Dialogue
Faiza Khan conceived, arranged and curated a group show of 150 artists' painting exhibition United - In the Age of Dialogue, at Pakistan National Council of Arts on 5 April 2011, inaugurated by Dr. Firdaus Ashiq Awan, Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Pakistan. It was a contemporary exhibition exploring the ingenious process through the medium of art, featuring a medley of art work by various Pakistani artists. The exhibition aspired to provide a platform for artists and to make visible their works of numerous Pakistani artists who are often marginalized in this society.
Khan has also been involved in the endeavors to provide platforms to artists so that art can flourish freely.
In the Name of Honor
In the same year, on 14 July, Khan also arranged and curated, 'In the Name of Honour', an interactive exhibit at Jharoka Art Gallery in Islamabad. When Khan discovered the heinous death of a woman killed as honour killing, she took it upon herself to express solidarity with the victims of social injustice, female oppression and patriarchal subjugation by organizing a symbolic exhibition in honour of women who have been raped, mutilated and killed. 'In the Name of Honour' was inaugurated by the wife of the US Ambassador to Pakistan, Dr. Marilyn Wyatt.
Advocacy
Faiza Khan founded a non profit organization by the name of Rastay through which she is striving for a better Pakistan. Her work through the organization reflects the issues of blasphemy laws in Pakistan, Honor Killing, Female Genocide, social, economic and political injustices, child abuse etc. Khan is prepared to collaborate with international organizations to work on such issues and bring out solutions for a peaceful society in Pakistan. More can be found at official website of Rastay, www.RASTAYNGO.com
Major exhibitions
She has held numerous exhibitions in Pakistan and the US, and some of these are:
Videos and Media reviews can be seen at the link http://www.RASTAYNGO.com
Video of this event can be seen at reference: http://www.rastayngo.com
at Jharoka Art Gallery, Islamabad, Pakistan 29 January 2010
at Hunerkada College of Visual and Performing Arts, Islamabad, Pakistan 29 May 2009