Born 1984 in Islamabad, Pakistan, Amra Khan is an Inter disciplinary visual artist, researcher & educator based in Lahore. She graduated with a distinction in painting in 2008, and Masters in Visual Arts from National College of Arts, Lahore with a semester at École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts (ENSBA) Paris, France, from 2010- 2011. She primarily works with oils, acrylics & miniature painting, incorporating mixed media, textiles, repurposed wood and devotional objects including past explorations in hair sculptures and video installations. Her work examines the bipolarity of binaries, focusing on the dichotomies of gender, sexuality, intimacy, and social conditioning, particularly within the framework of religion. Investigating the queer and the alpha male archetype in the Pakistani Muslim community, challenging societal norms and provoking questions about the tangibility of existence. Through symbolic representations and contemporary interpretations of altars, her work explores divine longing, iconography, and humanity’s pursuit of spiritual connection. Rooted in South Asian traditions, using objects of devotion and adornment, her practice examines modern faith, maddening passion for the divine, and the relentless search for Eden—a pursuit that often erases histories and memories.
She has had four solo shows ‘Gender Nectar’ at Galerie Sauvaget, Paris, 2011, ‘Ecce Homo – Behold the Man’ at Sanat Initiative, Karachi 2015 ‘Kacha Gosht’ at OArt Space, Lahore, 2018 and Zakhmi Dil’ at Khaas Contemporary, Islamabad, 2024. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally in a significant number of group shows in London, Paris, Basel, Norway and Pakistan, including Lahore Biennale 01, 02, 03 and ARTROOMS – International Contemporary Art Fair 2018 and 2019 in London. She co-curator ‘Stet’, exhibited under the umbrella of Lahore Literary Festival 2014 and has been a part of other curatorial projects. Her work was featured in the short film “Between the Lions” by Lewis Martin for the Cannes film festival 2011. Her work is a part of the Luciano Benetton ‘Imago Mundi’ Collection along with other prominent collections. She has been awarded the Visiting Artist Fellowship at the Mittal Institute, Harvard University Spring 2024 and Sam & Adele Golden Foundation Residency Program residency 2024. She is currently serving as an assistant professor at the Kinnaird College for Women.
