Qinza Najm

New York, NY

March 2- May 31, 2020

ARTIST STATEMENT

I am interested in the body as both medium and subject—the circumstances surrounding its physical occupation of space, the norms and laws that govern bodies as political subjects, and the uneven burden these norms often place on women and minorities. Drawing from my upbringing in Lahore, Pakistan, and adulthood in the United States, my paintings, sculptures, installations, and performances address gender, politics, and cultural power.

I often use motifs of bodies stretched, deconstructed, distorted, and pushed beyond their limits. A manipulated body is a reflection of how power is exerted on our being. However, I am more interested in the depiction of human potential—an extended body claims space beyond its expected role, both physically and figuratively. In particular, I aim to raise questions about how we might transcend and combat cultural stereotypes, prejudice, Islamophobia, and racist and sexist norms.

BIO

Qinza Najm is a NYC-based Pakistani-American inter-disciplinary artist. She has exhibited at venues including the Queens Museum (Queens, NY), Christie’s Art (Dubai), Art Basel (Miami, FL), Karachi Biennale (Pakistan), Western Exhibitions Gallery (Chicago) Museum of the Moving Image (Queens, NY), and the National Museum of Beijing (China). Her work has been featured in ArtNet News, the NY Daily News, International Business Week, and the Huffington Post.

Najm pursued her fine arts studies at Bath University and The Art Students League of New York, where she studied under the mentorship of Larry Poons. She completed her Psychology PhD at Tennessee State University. Her upbringing in Lahore, Pakistan, adulthood in the United States, and intense training in Psychology inform her paintings, performance and installation work related to gender, politics, and (em)-powerment.

Artist Links

Website: www.qinzanajm.com

Instagram: @qinza1