Samina Islam

Born in 1966 in Karachi (Pakistan)
Lives and works in Karachi (Pakistan)

Samina Islam is a mixed-media artist who was born to a Pakistani father and Dutch mother. When she was four years old, she moved to The Netherlands where she spent her next twenty-five years. Being exposed to two opposite cultures, Islam has always been intrigued by people, traditions and surroundings. The quest for self, through her art, is an ongoing process for her. Islam moved back to Pakistan later in life where she started her endeavors in art. She got her Fine Art Diploma in 2002 with Distinction from Studio Art. She pursued her love for photography by attaining a Photography diploma and incorporating photography in her art practice. She incorporates needlework on top of her images, which are printed on cloth. Islam enjoys experimentation and works with various media to achieve the effect she is looking for. She has exhibited nationally and internationally and has been part of a textile art residency in Oaxaca (Mexico) and Studio Kura residency in Fukuoka (Japan). She lives and works in Karachi, where she heads the Art Department of Karachi Grammar School (College section).

For her work on view at KB17, From Within, the figure of a young girl is seen floating in front of a tree. Islam states, “She is in a moment of nirvana, a transcendent state in which there is no suffering, desire, nor sense of self, and she is released from the effects of karma and the cycle of death and rebirth. Her body is transparent as if she floated out of her earthly body and became part of another universe.” For this work, Islam photographed an old tree she saw in Karachi. The artist believes trees have a mysterious and spiritual aura, which she wished to emphasize through the color green. From the flat, processed photograph, an image of the artist’s daughter emerges. Her dress is formed by net textile, its folds stitched by the artist’s own hand. Islam states, “In some way I am projecting myself through her.”