Nabiha Gillani

Nabiha Gillani, born in 1998 in Lahore, graduated with Roll of Honor in Fine Arts from Lahore College for Women University in 2022. She specializes in painting but has also refined her skills in miniature painting, mixed media, sculpture, printmaking, and book illustration. Her artwork is profoundly shaped by her personal experiences with dyslexia, reflecting the challenges she has faced and how she has successfully navigated them through self-acceptance and exploring her diverse abilities. Since graduating, Nabiha has exhibited her work nationally in several notable galleries, including Numaish Gah, O Art Space, Kaleido Contemporary, Gallery6, Alhamra Art Gallery, Gallery Fullcircle, VM Art Gallery, and Art Chowk Gallery. She has participated in three significant residencies: the Art Otaq Art Saray Residency in 2023 in Lahore, the Art Retreat “Sadequain Ki Anjuman Mein” in 2024 in Islamabad, and the Tasweer Ghar Annual Residency in 2024 in Lahore.

My recent body of work explores themes of self-acceptance and self-exploration through the lens of neurodivergence (dyslexic). It seeks to unravel the internal pressures and burdens imposed by societal expectations, symbolized by the coiling tension that can stifle individuality. By engaging in dialogue with our inner selves, my work aims to open up spaces of liberation and healing. It envisions the creation of an "army" of hopes, dreams, and ambitions forces that propel us forward into the unknown, challenging boundaries and affirming our power. Ultimately, my work is a testament to the resilience of the neurodivergent experience and a declaration of alliance with the self, a claim to space and voice in a world that often marginalizes difference