Doing the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program at NYU Abu Dhabi was my second time studying at postgraduate level. I had been actively working on my studio practice and teaching for 15 years in the UAE prior to enrolling into the program. I came to NYUAD with the intention of getting the qualification needed to be able to teach in a full-time position.
Being an MFA student gave my practice more visibility in the Abu Dhabi community, across faculty at NYUAD, and also with established curators and artists in the city through studio visits. This visibility has allowed my works to be featured in exhibitions in Tokyo and Venice during the program.
In the second year of my MFA, I was able to work with a research instrumentation scientist for my thesis topic and be able to access the facilities from the science department — something that would not have been possible to do on my own as an artist.
The collaboration was enriching for my research on the MFA program, and played a pivotal role in helping me become one of the recipients of Art Jameel’s Research and Practice Platform grant in 2024. The grant supports projects engaging with the climate emergency and has been very beneficial in helping my studio practice since my graduation from NYUAD last year. I am now back into teaching as an Assistant Professor at Zayed University in Dubai.
Home Region: Lahore, Pakistan
Current: Assistant Professor, CACE, Zayed University
Location: Dubai, UAE
Major: Master of Fine Arts (NYUAD)