Bio (B. 1986) Maria Khan graduated from College of Art & Design, Lahore with a Major in Painting and went on to complete her Masters in Visual Arts from the National College of Arts, Lahore. Drawing inspiration from the likes of Paula Rego and Lucien Freud, Khan’s work depicts a range of emotions from love and longing to lust and anger through her fantastically drawn figures. Her recent shows include “Vanity is Stronger than Love at Sixteen”, “Blossoming in the Woods”, at Canvas Art gallery, Karachi, “Doppelganger” curated by Asim Akthar at Khaas Gallery Islamabad, “The ‘M’ Factor”, at Canvas Gallery, Karachi, “Found in translation” at Taseer Art Gallery, “My Name Is…” curated by Hajra Haider at IVS Gallery, Karachi, “Or Something Like it”, at Satrang Gallery, Islamabad; “Usman aur Main” at Koel Gallery, Karachi; and a painting exhibition curated by Imran Qureshi, at the ambassador house, American Embassy in collaboration with ROHTAS 1, Islamabad.
Artist Statement | The Perfect Gentleman
Always on the lookout for characters that inspire, their features; large eyes, wide shoulders, strong necks are the start of a story leading to a vision of these characters in a setting with flowers, berries and fruits – a garden of mystic adding to their lost gaze or the print of the fabric they are dressed in. All these ingredients are glued together through charcoal and conte`; dark background and big solid colors - depictions of emotions of fantastically drawn, larger than life figures – scandalous characters. Placed in a dreamlike aura the figures possess strong and large bodies, enhanced features – each telling their own story. The process is a journey of discovery; partly of self. These visuals are in our head, all of us have locked them away far from the eyes of the public. Unlike us these figures are comfortable in their skins and emotions regardless of the norms of the society they live in and very much like us they aspire for more – love, beauty, power and the stars. Inspired from the works of Botticelli, Manet and Paula Rego, my work is an expression of stories and secrets that I carry within.
