Bio
She lives and works in Lahore. She received her BFA from National College of Arts, Lahore, (1993), her MA in Art History and Theory from the College of Fine Arts at the University of New South Wales (2003), and her PhD from the Centre for Media Studies at The School of Oriental and African Studies, London (2015). She is an independent artist who explores Pakistan’s political upheavals and tumultuous history. She frequently showcases her work at international art galleries around the world. Batool is an active member of Awami Art Collective which aims to use art in public spaces to generate a discourse of peaceful co-existence. She currently heads the Department of Cultural Studies at National College of Arts.
Artist Statement
Farida Batool's works attest to the scars in Pakistani society caused by decades of unrest. To portray the dilemmas, dichotomies and the negotiations with the dominant ideology, Batool has employed multi disciplinary approaches and wide range of media, which best suited the need of the representation in a certain way. The use of photography is integral to her work. WorldCup 2016, is an installation of footballs with human skin and hairs printed on its surface. The grossness of the images is reminiscent of the bombardment of images of violence thrown at us, as consumers of violent images, by the media, in order to inform how mutilated bodies and razed cities across the globe are forming our new landscape.
She lives and works in Lahore. She received her BFA from National College of Arts, Lahore, (1993), her MA in Art History and Theory from the College of Fine Arts at the University of New South Wales (2003), and her PhD from the Centre for Media Studies at The School of Oriental and African Studies, London (2015). She is an independent artist who explores Pakistan’s political upheavals and tumultuous history. She frequently showcases her work at international art galleries around the world. Batool is an active member of Awami Art Collective which aims to use art in public spaces to generate a discourse of peaceful co-existence. She currently heads the Department of Cultural Studies at National College of Arts. Artist Statement
Farida Batool's works attest to the scars in Pakistani society caused by decades of unrest. To portray the dilemmas, dichotomies and the negotiations with the dominant ideology, Batool has employed multi disciplinary approaches and wide range of media, which best suited the need of the representation in a certain way. The use of photography is integral to her work. WorldCup 2016, is an installation of footballs with human skin and hairs printed on its surface. The grossness of the images is reminiscent of the bombardment of images of violence thrown at us, as consumers of violent images, by the media, in order to inform how mutilated bodies and razed cities across the globe are forming our new landscape.
