Muhammad Ashraf is a Pakistani visual artist who has spent over three decades exploring the interdependent relationship between memory, place, and emotional resonance. He earned his BFA from the National College of Arts, Lahore (1993) and an MA in Fine Arts from the University of East London (2003). With eleven solo exhibitions and numerous group shows in Pakistan and the UK, Ashraf’s experimental practice extends beyond traditional surfaces like canvas and paper to incorporate wood, handmade paper, and color mat board.
Ashraf’s subjects are drawn from the mundane, yet he explores them in a broad range of styles, supported by intense technical skill. Rather than producing classical, literal artwork, he presents intuitive marks through a poetic gaze. His work navigates the space between realism and abstraction, appearing as a deliberate distortion. He describes his art practice as a process of constant scrutiny—destroying and remaking his work with no predetermined plan or guarantee of success, relying instead on hard work and intuition. His mark-making extends across paper, canvas, and wood, where he sculpts, renders, and paints, creating a tension between drawing, painting, and sculptural forms.
Beyond his artistic practice, Ashraf plays an interdisciplinary role as a curator and critic, amplifying his impact on contemporary Pakistani art discourse. Since 2010, he has curated fourteen projects, employing a DIY curatorial framework that critically engages with emerging artistic voices. His independent gallery, Drawing Studio (2010–2014), provided a platform for experimental artists. As a writer, he has published research papers, art reviews, and critical essays in both local and international newspapers, periodicals, and academic journals.
Currently, Ashraf serves as an Associate Professor and Chairperson of the Department of Art and Design at COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus. His recent creative practice focuses on the adaptability and resilience of Lahore’s flora, particularly the Sumbal (red flower) and Amaltas (yellow flower) trees, within urban environments. These seasonal transformations serve as metaphors for endurance, decay, and renewal, reflecting how nature withstands and adapts to urban pressures, mirroring broader socio-cultural dynamics. The city of Lahore, often referred to as the “City of Gardens,” becomes breathtaking during the bloom of these trees, and his work attempts to articulate awe and admiration for this fleeting beauty while addressing the ecological tension between nature and urbanization.
In his current body of work, Ashraf explores the tension between painterly expression and linearity. His compositions incorporate an uncanny line derived from the ‘Padshahnama’, a historical miniature painting tradition. The amalgamation of these elements results in a dynamic interplay between simplification and complexity, creating an uncanny abstraction that distorts subject, materiality, and method
