Artist Statement

As a 3D animator, I really treasure my background as a miniature painter and actively seek to integrate it into my work. I think a distinctive animation style can be achieved through the combination of the rich pictorial space characteristic of traditional Pakistani miniature painting with current 3D animation practices. I think using the miniature painting and playing with it in animation, 2D and compositing software creates a very interesting merger of the past and present.

My 3D animation strives to pull the viewer into this "created version" of a world experience, allowing him to float between multiple eras as it embraces the old and new. I've always been very passionate about illustration. My strong drawing skills have always played an important role in enhancing this passion for drawing and making caricatures of everyone around me. I use illustration as a tool to describe a person's presence - it is a skill that comes so naturally for me. By this talent in illustration with highly finished backgrounds typical of miniature paintings and imbuing with the movements of animated 3D characters, I am able to create surreal scenes, which elevate both a traditional and a new art form in the process.

Bio

TECHNICAL SKILLS
Autodesk Maya (Modeling, Rigging, Animating, Rendering, etc.), Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe AfterEffects,
Shake, Nuke, 2D Animation, Traditional Miniature Painting Techniques, Drawing, Rendering, Sculpting, etc.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2010 to present Teaching Adobe AfterEffects at the Digital Film Academy, New York, NY
2010-08 Library and Lab Assistant, School of Visual Arts New York, NY.
2007-08 Site Supervisor (Foreman), ZHN Contracting Corp. Brooklyn, NY.
2003-07 Art Director, Digizone New York, NY
2001-03 Art Director, Printzone Inc. New York, NY
1999-01 Assistant Manager, Foto Print Lab New York, NY
1993-98 Lecturer, (Miniature Painting) National College of Arts Lahore, Pakistan
EDUCATION
MFA 2010 Computer Arts School of Visual Arts, New York, USA
BFA 1993 Miniature Painting National College of Arts, Lahore, Pakistan
BA 1988 Arts (Geography, Statistics) Government College, Lahore, Pakistan

GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS / AWARDS
1996 Practical Workshop on Care and Handling a Work of Art on Paper
Pakistan National Council of Arts Lahore, Pakistan
1995 1st Prize, Artist Association of Punjab Lahore, Pakistan.
Distinguish Artist Award, Pakistan Art Academy Lahore, Pakistan
National Art Exhibition, Alhamra Art Center Lahore, Pakistan
1994 6th National Exhibition of Visual Arts, PNCA Islamabad, Pakistan
Gold Medal (1st Prize), 6th National Exhibition of Visual Arts Islamabad, Pakistan

EXHIBITIONS
2010 MFA Computer Art Thesis Presentation, School of Visual Arts, New York, NY
2004-1990 One Solo Show and Several Group Shows in Pakistan and abroad