Thursday, 9th October, 2025

Next event: An interactive conversation between four acclaimed women artists from Pakistan

Our next event is a moderated conversation and presentation of selected artworks by Samar F. Zia, Saba Qizilbash, Adia Wahid, and Saba Khan, four acclaimed women artists from Pakistan.

While their approach is not shocking their artworks are invariably awe-inspiring; women artists from Pakistan today are constantly challenging fixed boundaries in their private and professional lives. At times inspiring viewers to re-consider what is art in a world where there is free flow of information, with improved access to archival knowledge and an explosion of media. They stand out in their endeavour to challenge what we understand as established systems of governance, spatial history, cultural practices and societal norms, both at home and abroad.

No longer anonymous like the erstwhile female artists of the Mughal court who were restricted to painting scenes of private lives, women artists from Pakistan today have won huge accolades internationally with their works shown, celebrated, and collected by international museums, art galleries, art collectors, and commissioned by numerous Biennales and Philanthropic Foundations.

Artists bio’s:

Samar F. Zia: Is an artist, curator and art writer based in London. She regularly exhibits in Pakistan and UK; her work has been part of the Affordable Art Fair, London, and she is the founder of Art Social, where she facilitates workshops for families and young adults at various institutions across London. Zia graduated with distinction in BFA from Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture, Karachi. She holds an MA in Fine Arts from Central Saint Martins, London.

Saba Qizilbash: Has a BFA from the National College of Arts, Pakistan, an MA from Rhode Island School of Design and an MFA from the Ruskin School of Art, University of Oxford. She is the recipient of numerous international awards and recognition. Qizilbash’s work has been showcased in UK, UAE, Hong Kong, San Francisco, New York, India and Pakistan.

Adia Wahid: Lives and works in London. She holds a BFA from the University of the Arts London and an MA from the Royal College of Art. Deliberately repetitive, Wahid describes her paintings and drawings as diagrams doubled over other diagrams.

Saba Khan: Is from Lahore, lives and works in London. Her interdisciplinary work stretches over the fields of art, ecology, performance, colonial histories which come together through expeditions, research and fieldwork. She has taught at the National College of Arts, Lahore and now teaches at the Chelsea College of Arts. She recently exhibited at the Swiss Institute, USA (2024), National Museums of Qatar, (2024), Gangwon Triennial (2024).

Event date and time: Thursday 9 October, at 6pm for a strict 6.30pm start – 8pm (light refreshment will be available)

Venue: High Commission for Pakistan, 36 Lowndes Square, London SW1X 9JN

To book your space for the event, please view the details below