Nigar Nazar

Biography

Nigar changed her degree from medical to fine arts in 1968. Her cartoon Gogi appeared for the first time in 1970 in Karachi's Institute of Arts and Crafts annual magazine. She graduated in fine arts from the University of the Punjab, Lahore. She also attended courses at the Australian National University, Canberra.

In 2002–2003, she was a Fulbright scholar at University of Oregon art department, and in 2009, she was a Fulbright Visiting Specialist at Colorado College. She attended a UNICEF-sponsored training session on animated film at Hanna-Barbera Studios in Manila.

Gogi Studios works on projects that actively address social issues. In 2009, Nazar completed five "awareness comics on burning social issues such as extremism, corruption, sectarian violence, girls education and women rights". Three books which are a compilation of her cartoons have been published, as well as several calendars, brochures, diaries, and posters. In collaboration with non-governmental organisationss, 12 public-transport buses were wrapped with Gogi cartoons in 2004 to convey social messages. She has produced for various international NGOs three books for children on health and hygiene, the environment, disaster management, first aid, and child safety.

Now living in Islamabad, Nazar says, "My work ... started from newspaper and reached the community, as it appeared on public buses and hospitals. I published books and comics and the aim of my studio is to address mindset for a positive change."

She is a founding member of the Asian Youth Association for Animators and Cartoonists, headquartered in Guiyang, China. She has been an official speaker and jury member of numerous art and cartoon competitions, both international and national such as the APACA (AYAAC), Aydin Dogan Vakfi (Turkey), Himal Cartoon Conference (Nepal), Cartoonists Congress (Malaysia/Singapore), and the Oxfam Congress for Women's Issues (Sri Lanka). Nazar has conducted many workshops and outreach programs for privileged and underprivileged students in Pakistan.

Gogi

Nazar's main cartoon character, Gogi, has been a popular comicstrip in newspapers worldwide. Gogi depicts a modern Pakistani Muslim woman with short hair, long eyelashes and a polka dot dress. Asked in an interview to describe Gogi, Nazar said, "In the words of a university student who has done a well-researched thesis on my work, 'Gogi is the symbol of womanhood in Pakistan, with all her adventures and escapades in daily life, facing day to day hypocrisies in a male dominated society " The Denver Post described Gogi as "a bit like 'Blondie' and a bit like Oprah—except devoutly Muslim".

Honours

Nigar was featured in the Wateen Telecom Pakistan "Icon 2010 of Pakistan" calendar. The Cartoonists Rights Network named her first among innovative users of cartoons. She received the Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah Award from the government of Pakistan. She received the Booruker UNESCO prize in 1997 for her work at an orphanage in Kyrgyzstan. BBC nominated her for Hundred influential Global women who brought about a difference in the world, she has been voted among "50 Power Women" nationally by The News (Daily news paper.)

Projects

Trauma counselling of earthquake victims through puppets

Nigar devised Puppet Shows weaving elements of Trauma Counseling in the script for Earthquake victims (October 2005) Gogi comic strip characters entertained and conducted Trauma Counselling in an innovative and impactful way.

Outreach Programs and lectures (January 2008 – December 2009)

Nazar conducted outreach programs in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Lahore on environmental subjects. She showed animated cartoons, demonstrated the art of drawing cartoons, interacted with children, and distributed free Gogi books and stationary in Gogi school bags to the attendees.

Workshops (2008–2010)

Nazar conducted numerous cartooning workshops for children, especially those from disadvantaged communities, with the international non-governmental organisations PLAN, HEC (Higher Education Commission), National Government/CARE and Shaj-re-Ilm. Workshops were also organised with private organisations, such as KFC, for children.

Cartooning workshop were conducted by Nigar Nazar for Karachi University, NUST and Gymkhana Lahore. Courses in drawing and cartooning were conducted in Fatimah Jinnah University.

Publications

Glad to Meetcha Gogi, Adam Publishers (Malta), 1975.

Gogi on the Go, Pak-American Publishers, 1982.

Koorey ka Jin (English: The Garbage Monster),including a board game, 2005.

Prepared training modules for HIV/AIDS, for UNICEF, 2005.

Designed and authored a baby-record book published by Ferozsons Laboratories in 2006.

Prepared and illustrated two books on disaster management in 2006 (a JICA project).

Collection of comic strips Going Gogi published in 2009; later translated to Urdu.

January 2010: produced five comic books on life skills: girls' education, corruption, anti-recruitment, women's rights, and sectarian violence.