Lubna Agha is a renowned Pakistani painter at the forefront of contemporary South Asian art. Her art taps into the profound energy found in ageless artifacts and Asian and Islamic architecture from places as geographically disparate as south Asia and north Africa. She works mainly on canvas and wood, applying thousands of painted pixels and organic shapes that evoke mosaic tiling, intricate carvings, and ornate metalwork.
Her process is a dialogue with her personal history. Where the revival of miniature paintings and calligraphy characterize much of modern South Asian art, Lubna's paintings draw inspiration from the rich tradition of ornate, intricate architectural forms and design motifs, where the meditative and ornamental qualities of the original media take on new meaning and beauty.
The total copse of her work resists categorization. Deeply rooted in her personal history, the work is not constrained in the rigid constructions of a traditional heritage. The result is a contemporary visual language that is compelling and full of beauty–a trait that is not just attractive to the eye, but also stirring to the spirit.
Her work has been exhibited in art museums and galleries throughout the world--in her homeland Pakistan, as well as Britain, Japan, Jordan, Switzerland, and the United States. One of the leading South Asian and Pakistani women artists, Agha has earned her place in art history.
She lives and works in Brookline, Massachusetts, U.S.A.