Featured Artist – No. 4
Shazia Sikander
A defining trait of Shahzia Sikander's artwork, but also her life, is the persistent impulse to cross boundaries. Born in Lahore, Pakistan and trained in the traditional art of Persian miniature painting, Sikander later emigrated to the United States, earned an MFA in painting at the Rhode Island School of Design, and is currently a rising star in the New York art scene.
Her paintings often address the cultural cross currents that she embodies: East vs. West, tradition vs. invention, spirituality vs, capitalism. Sikander's story might be the latest version of the classic immigrant tale: a young woman from a third world Muslim country leading a very independent life in 21st Century Manhattan.
The conversation presented here focuses on the latest boundary that Sikander has decided to breach ? the boundary between pigment and pixels. Lately, Sikander has started to create digital, time-based work. This is a surprising move for someone in the fold of the New York gallery scene, a world based on the exchange of material objects with hefty price tags. In this conversation with Fabiola Elias (University of Illinois graduate student of graphic design and narrative media) Sikander talks about the evolution of her work and the seductions of the digital.
Screenshots
Artist Links
Credits
Art Directors
Jennifer Gunji & Joseph Squier
Designer
Jessica Mullen
Flash Programmer
Jessica Mullen
Video Engineer
Fabiola Elias
