Munawar Ali Syed

Bachelor of Art - Sculpture

National College of Arts, Lahore, Pakistan - 1999

Munawar Ali Syed hails from the city of Hyderabad; he currently lives in Karachi and teaches at the Textile Institute of Pakistan as well as Karachi University. He has been involved with the performing arts and started a theatre group called ‘Behroop’ and has been an active member of VASL artist collective. Along with several national and international groups shows Munawar has had four solo shows. He has participated in ‘Burragorang International Artists’ Workshop’, Australia (2003), ‘VASL Workshop’, Pakistan (2004), ‘Braziers Artist Workshop’, UK, and the ‘Silbury Residency’, UK (2005). My work addresses the issues one faces while living in a big city: Diaspora, identity, individuality, social hierarchy, social stigma and social pressure. These are facets of urban life that affect the masses and make them question the identity of individuals. The mixture of fervor, uncertainty and repetition in my work brings not only a visual aesthetic but also creates a tension between the tangible and the sublime.