Artist
Bio
Nazira Bibi is a British Pakistani contemporary artist known for her minimalist take on Islamic geometric art. Drawing inspiration from the order inherent in nature and the cosmos, her work celebrates her cultural and religious heritage while also speaking to contemporary themes of science, spirituality, and mental health.
With backgrounds in medical science, teaching and traditional Islamic art, Nazira combines hand-drawn geometric designs with modern aesthetics.
As a daughter of immigrants, Nazira is deeply committed to exploring her spiritual, geographical, cultural and linguistic history . Her work reflects her journey of self-discovery and decolonization, seeking to honour the artistic and spiritual traditions to which she belongs.
She works to explore the healing potential of spiritual practices and quietening of the mind through art.
Her aim is to spark larger conversations on the importance of discipline, focus, and embracing stillness as a means of achieving spiritual and mental wellbeing.
Statement
A scientist at my core, I seek to understand the how, the why, and the what of the world around me. This scientific, linear modality of being has its place, but it doesn't fully satisfy the heart's yearning for a different kind of knowledge.
In the realm of spirituality, the heart holds the key to true understanding.
In Islam, the spiritual heart serves as the locus of genuine insight, central to the practice of tasawwuf. Tasawwuf is the path of purifying one's thoughts, actions, intentions, and speech, transforming us from being head-centric individuals entangled in the complexities of modern life, to fertile-hearted souls that long for the tranquility and guidance of nature.
My artistic practice is a fusion of these linear and creative, scientific and spiritual facets of myself.
I embrace tactile craftsmanship and work with an array of materials, including hand-made paper, slate, vellum, gesso, canvas, and other natural elements, allowing me to bridge the gap between tradition and innovation.
My toolkit includes callipers, compasses, Indian miniature and Chinese painting brushes, ink, watercolor, and the transformative mystical qualities of pure gold. These materials are my conduits to that inner purification.
Through my art, I hope to share this journey towards discipline and silent inner stillness, inviting viewers to explore their own connections between science, spirituality, mental health and the essence of being.