Amin Gulgee (b. 1965 Karachi, Pakistan) is a visual artist and independent curator living and working in Karachi. He received a BA in Art History and Economics from Yale University in 1987 and won the Conger B. Goodyear Fine Arts Award for his senior thesis on Moghul gardens. He works primarily in sculpture, installation and performance.
Amin’s praxis investigates unlikely connections to uncover alternative narratives, resisting conceptual categorization. His non-dualistic approach manifests itself in the materiality of his metalwork and is reflected in the philosophy behind his performative and curatorial practices. Amin has shown widely both nationally and internationally. His solo exhibitions include “The Spider Speaketh in Tongues” South Asia Institute, Chicago, USA (2022); “7” Galleria d’Arte Moderna di Roma Capitale and “7.7” Mattatoio, Rome, Italy (2018); “Walking on the Moon” Wei-Ling Contemporary, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (2015); “Looking for the Magic Center” ArtSpace Dubai, UAE (2009); and “Amin Gulgee” Museu da Agua, Lisbon, Portugal (2003). His international group shows include “ENTRELACS/INTERLACED” Cité internationale des arts, Paris, France (2022); “OPEN20” Venice, Italy (2017); “Rites of Passage” Ostrale’010, Dresden, Germany (2010); “Beyond Borders” National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai, India (2005); Beijing Biennial (2003); and “Pakistan: Another Vision” Brunei Gallery, London, UK (2000).
Amin has worked extensively with performance, both as a practitioner and a curator. Over the past two decades, he has presented over 35 performance works of his own both at home and abroad. He has also curated numerous group exhibitions at his eponymous non-commercial gallery in Karachi and elsewhere and was Chief Curator of the inaugural Karachi Biennale in 2017. Among Amin Gulgee’s many public works are Steps in front of the Pakistan parliament building in Islamabad and Reaching for the Skies at the United Nations’ headquarters in New York. His work is in important international collections, including the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, Amman and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
