LAHORE – Heera Khan’s collection is a rich and lavish portrayal of luxury defined by an underlying consciousness of redundancy of such a lifestyle. In her work, the vulnerability and fragility of life are glossed over by a veneer of exaggerated, narcissistic pampering of self.
Heraa is a contemporary visual artist and art instructor from Lahore, Pakistan. She has conducted classes on miniature painting in New York and Texas, USA and has recently returned from teaching a course on miniature painting at the International Summer Academy of Salzburg, Austria.
After being awarded a scholarship, Khan completed her Bachelors in Fine arts at National College of Arts (NCA) in 2012, specializing in miniature painting. She has had several solo exhibitions and has participated in significant group shows, nationally and internationally. She received the Ruth Katzman scholarship for a residency at the Art Student’s League Residency at Vyt, NY, USA and was awarded a residency at the Bone Black Gallery, Texas, USA in 2016.
Using bright colors, patterns and different postures, Khan weaves bubbled life into the paintings through a play of mediums. Her work portrays a humorous and empathetic way of expression. In the painting entitled, “Two rich and precious stones” the figures come across as strong metaphors of the artist’s consciousness.
The dominant gold as a base is accentuated by a halo of exotic flora in a fine blend of colors. The titles of the work and the exhibition are derived from Shakespearean plays that talk about the basic human flaw of relying on the superficial.
Specializing in the traditional techniques of Mughal and Persian miniature painting Khan uses natural pigments, kalam and wasli. The kalam is a handcrafted brush that the painter assembles herself for fine pardakht and Wasli paper another handcrafted essential used as the surface. 24K gold leaf is improvised to serve as a medium that connects the gilded extravaganza of the metal with the lavish lifestyle.
Heera has an upcoming solo show on Tuesday 21st November, 2017 in Karachi. We cannot wait to see it for ourselves!
