Nahid Raza

Born in 1948 in Delhi (India)
Lives and works in Karachi (Pakistan)

Nahid Raza hails from a family with distinguished art connections. Her late father, Syed Yusuf Raza, was a journalist, art writer and the author of a book on economics. Her life in art began in 1966 when her uncle Ali Imam helped her to join the Central Institute. Later, in 1968 she held her first group exhibition while she was still a student. In 1969, she won her first award, the ‘Best Entry Award’ at the Karachi Arts Council. She was deeply inspired by the intricate stone carvings of Sindh which resulted in her first major landmark works on the Chawkandi Tombs. Soon, the mounting appreciation of her work abroad led to solo exhibitions in Japan, Bangladesh and India. On her return to Karachi, in 1987, she began teaching art full-time. In 1992, Nahid established Studio Art in Karachi, and for over a decade, nurtured several promising talents. She was awarded a residency at the New York State University in 1998. In 2002, her work was displayed in a solo exhibition at the Vienna Museum. Nahid has visited several countries across the globe for her solo and group exhibitions. These include Bezirk Museum, Vienna; Asian Art Biennial, Bangladesh; SAARC exhibition in New Delhi, and a group show called "Intelligent Rebellion" by Pakistani women artists in Bradford, England. In August 2007, Nahid was awarded the President’s Pride of Performance Award, the highest art honor in the country.

For KB17, Nahid Raza has created a major painting from her ongoing Virdh series. The word “virdh” refers to repetition of a certain incantation – a practice that exists in many religions. Nahid’s recent work revolves around motifs that have been repeatedly screen-printed on large canvases. Nahid believes there are spiritual ways to purge inner frustrations and to shed agony. One such way is the practice of Sufism, which inculcates divine ethics through devotion towards the Almighty. As a strong believer in divine realities, she has emphasized that there is spirituality in every person. She expresses the feelings that virdh creates in her soul through painting. It is her intention to depict serenity and peace in her canvases.