Marvi Mazhar graduated from IVS with a Bachelors in Architecture in 2009. While many opt to take a break after completing a gruelling 5-year programme in architecture, Marvi was just getting started. After graduating from IVS, she pursued diploma courses and a Master’s from international universities to further explore her interests in heritage and preservation.

Upon realizing how little she knew about the city in which she resides, Marvi found herself promenading the streets of Saddar. Fascinated by the colonial architecture present in the old part of town, her curiosity quickly evolved into a passion to preserve the rich culture and heritage of Karachi.

Marvi’s ongoing research focuses on the representation and production of Karachi’s urban coastal periphery and ecology. Her work facilitates dialogue between the evolving footprint of the inner city and the new parts of town through personal archives and visual ethnography. Through her research, she seeks to gain a better understanding of the legalities of amenity plots, heritage properties, and urban parts of the city.  

Marvi credits IVS for sparking her interest in heritage sites and culture.

“IVSAA played a very important role in building the idea of regionality in my professional practice. It gave me the opportunity to think local and contextual. Professors who shared experiences from personal practice made architecture understanding a balance between theoretical and practical systems,” she says.

“History is an important subject in the making of any city or region. Without historical context, critique and analysis cannot take place. To recognize development as part of modern systems, one has to embrace and celebrate heritage in the form of a protection plan. This is of course beyond just built heritage, this also means considering indigenous living systems. Once that understanding is respected, then design decisions are not self-centred but in return, it benefits communal living.”

“I owe it to some professors who shared a lot of incredible professional experiences that helped shape my understanding of the city.”

Marvi has also served as Director at PeaceNiche (T2F) and cofounded The Architectural Design Research Lab (ADRL) at IVS which is a research laboratory devoted to projects within architecture and urban design. In 2016, she founded Pakistan Chowk Community Centre and was the Project Manager of the National History Museum (Lahore, Pakistan), conceptualized by The Citizens Archive of Pakistan.

Shamoon Sultan is the jewel to IVS’s crown; his success story is perhaps the most inspiring of all our graduates. What began as a small boutique in Zamzama quickly blossomed into the international retail fashion house we know as Khaadi.

In just 20 years Khaadi has established itself as a corporate icon within the retail industry. It now has 52 stores across 17 cities in Pakistan, 22 outlets in the UK and a few more in the UAE. Its biggest outlet outside of Pakistan is located in Mirdiff City Center, Dubai.

Khaadi has transformed Pakistani fashion in a way that no other brand has done before. Before its launch, the ready-to-wear market was virtually nonexistent in Pakistan. Shamoon’s idea of offering value-for-money clothing that was rooted in tradition and accessible to all completely changed the way the fashion retail industry functions in the country. 

 Shamoon joined IVS in 1993 after being rejected on his first try. Though he always knew he wanted to pursue Textile Design in university, he didn’t take his classes very seriously at the beginning.

“I was almost kicked out in the second year by Noorjehan Bilgrami for my poor attitude. That was the turning point for me. As the years progressed, I started looking at my classes as building blocks. I met Shehnaz Ismail around the same time, she was a big influence in my life as a student.

Shamoon calls himself a proud patriot and is devoted to preserving Pakistan’s older crafts; Khaadi is shaped around his fascination with the old craft of handwoven khaddar and his desire to create a retail brand for it, seamlessly merging tradition with modernity. Khaadi later expanded to include menswear, children’s clothing, and a home line boasting its signature bright colours and ethnic patterns

 “I developed an interest for heritage and culture through our study trips to various parts of Sindh. That’s also when I began visiting India. Those trips planted the seeds of Khaadi in my head,” says Shamoon.

 “If you visit the Khaadi offices, you’ll see that the vibe is very similar to IVS. That respect for culture and heritage is very evident. I find myself drawn to IVS graduates because we’ve all been trained the same way and share similar values. We’ve got around 185 IVS graduates working with us in some capacity. The majority of them come from the Textile Design Department, but we also have some from Communication Design as well as Fine Art,” claims Shamoon.

 According to him, IVS is the reason he’s so detail-oriented and particular about design.

“I’m extremely picky about what I want and don’t settle for anything else. I think all of that comes from my training at IVS and the professors who taught us to look at everything critically.”

Renowned actor Sarwat Gilani graduated from IVS with a major in Graphic Design and a minor in Filmmaking. She was offered a role in a theatre play when a group of prominent television personalities visited the campus in search of talent and noticed her infectious energy as she worked on her thesis. It wasn’t long before Sarwat made her acting debut in 2005.

Sarwat’s innate ability as an actress, her versatility and talent have defined her career. She has appeared in many commendable television plays, telefilms, theatre plays and movies. She was nominated for the Best Supporting Actress at 2015 Lux Style Awards for the film Jawani Phir Nahi Aani. She won acclaim for her role in Churails, a groundbreaking web series in 2020 that was praised for its nuanced portrayals of diverse women who challenge the status quo in society.

Sarwat was part of the first batch of filmmaking students at the university, here’s what she says about her time as a filmmaking student at IVS.

“The years I spent at IVS were some of the best years of my life because it taught us how to be. It pushed us to be good artists as well as good human beings.

I did a Minor in Filmmaking. Because we were the first batch of students in the program, we played multiple roles. The tasks were designed to help us realize the importance of every job and the responsibilities that each individual undertakes on a set. Lastly, IVS taught me how to observe. To be a good actor, you need to be a good observer.”

Sarwat recalls how IVS instilled a sense of responsibility in her back when she was a student.

“We used to sell the arts and crafts we made in the little shop we had. The whole idea behind that was to share our work and use it to contribute to other people’s lives. We quickly realized that we have to elevate everyone together. It’s not enough to focus on individual goals, you need to think bigger and be conscious of the community.

This sense of responsibility has stayed with me; it’s played a role in me being an ambassador for the Special Olympics and Indus Hospital and the motivational speeches I give at various events.” 

Adeela Suleman is a distinguished artist of Pakistan. Her work has extensively appeared in exhibitions nationally and worldwide, including Phantoms of Asia at the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, the 2013 Asian Art Biennial at the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Art, Hanging Fire – Contemporary Art from Pakistan at The Asia Society, New York; Gallery Rohtas 2, Lahore; Canvas Gallery, Karachi; Aicon Gallery, New York; and, the International Exhibition of Contemporary Art, Bologna, Italy, the Singapore Biennale (2016), Sea Triennial, Jakarta (2013), Asia Triennial II, Manchester (2011), Fukuoka Asian Art Triennale (2002) and the Karachi Biennale (2017, 2019).

Reviews and features of her work have appeared in the New York Times and Artforum, among other publications.

Adeela’s journey with IVS has been a long and exciting one. She continued to work closely with the mentors she met at the university even after graduation and eventually returned as an Associate Professor and remained the Head of the Fine Art Department for ten years. She is currently the Director of Vasl Artists’ Association in Karachi.

“After graduation, I got an opportunity to work at the Fukuoka Biennale but I didn’t have the space for a studio ... Even after graduation, my mentors at IVS ensured I had the resources I needed to pursue my ventures, and I was given a space at the university to work.”

“The institution has become a knowledge hub for art education in the city. You don’t need to be enrolled as a full-time student to learn art from IVS; you can visit its thesis shows and exhibitions, or take up its short courses and diplomas. IVS has successfully created multiple avenues for people to gain exposure to the world of art.”

Celebrated musician Bilal Maqsood was part of IVS’s first graduating class before his band Strings rose to fame in the early 2000s with tunes that won international acclaim. Strings went onto become one of Pakistan’s most recognized bands, with a remarkable 30-year run, selling 25 million albums worldwide.

Bilal was a co-producer and director of Coke Studio from 2014 to 2017, alongside his bandmate Faisal Kapadia. He’s also directed music videos for his band and other artists.

Bilal has always been an artist. His paintings were featured at 15-An IVS Alumni Collective, an exhibition that marked 15 years of the IVS Alumni Association.

“It was the list of the Founders and faculty that caught my attention. The idea of big names like Meher Afroz, Akeel Bilgrami, Shahid Abdullah, Akbar Naqvi, all coming together for this art school was astounding, and that’s when I decided that was going to quit BCom and apply to IVS.” says Bilal.

“The biggest takeaway from IVS for me was that there is always something to learn. Realizing that I know nothing and that there’s so much out there for me to learn, it was incredibly disarming and humbling; my attitude completely changed. IVS fostered a learning culture. We didn’t just learn from our teachers, but also our peers. There was always healthy competition, but we all had an eagerness to learn from those around us—and that’s something that has stayed with me to this day.”

Architecture graduates from IVS have left and will continue to leave a lasting impact in the country. Saifullah Sami is one of our most-recognized architects, best known for his phenomenal work on the Habib University campus for which he received the Merit Award for Excellence in Planning by Society for College and University Planning, USA.

After completing his Bachelors and Masters from a prestigious business school in Karachi, Saifullah decided to go back to university to finally pursue his passion for architecture. Once he received his degree, Saifullah earned a Fullbright scholarship to do his Masters at Yale University.

“I always wanted to be an architect. I think it was just an interest in making things with my hands and how spaces are made or the way the light comes into a room.

I applied to IVS because it was and is still the best school for architecture in Pakistan. It has the right balance of art and the technical side of architecture. My fondest memories at the university are of professors who shared stories of their experiences with the architects they’ve met and the buildings they’d seen from all over the world. They’d actually visited the buildings we’d only seen in our books. I was mesmerized by their stories. I found them incredibly inspiring, “says Saifullah.

Since returning to Karachi, Saifullah has had the honor of working for notable architecture firms and taken on prominent commercial including some of the country’s leading institutions such as Habib University, Karachi University, and University of Management and Technology.

“When I was at Ahed Associates, I worked as the Principal Architect; we designed the Habib University campus in Karachi. The feeling of seeing something built that I have designed is beyond words really. When I’m designing on paper or on screen, there’s a different scale to it. When the things are actually built and the human senses are engaged, that’s when the power of architecture really becomes clear,” says Saifullah.

Recalling his time at IVS and the role the university played in his journey as an architect, Saif said,

“I remember our professors being very insightful critics of the work that we did and really pushed us hard to put out the best work possible. We would end up producing models that we didn’t think we’re capable of.“

“IVS played a very deep and defining role in my career. The idea of experiencing architecture as opposed to just viewing it, is something that has stuck with me even today. I realized there was more to architecture than just façade making; it was really the internal experience that had to be designed. This was a revolutionary concept for Pakistan.

There are only a handful of universities in Pakistan that offer a Bachelors in Architecture; the Dept. Of Architecture at IVS stands out amongst them because of how the programme is structured.

Our professors urged us to focus on the experiential side of architecture, so the way that you move through a space, the way the natural light comes in, a breeze flows, a view opens up—the way a person feels when they’re inside.”

“Aside from that, IVS taught me to learn from the architects of the past, a concept we refer to as ‘precedent study’ in our field. I’ve studied buildings from all over the world, and I draw from those precedents. We were also told to attach context to buildings, it’s important for me that a certain building looks like where it comes from."

If you’re familiar with the art and theatre scene in Pakistan, you’ve definitely heard Asma Mundrawala’s name. Asma is a celebrated visual artist and theatre practitioner who graduated with a BFA from IVS in 1995, completed an MA in Art and Performance Theory from the Wimbledon School of Art (2002) and a DPhil from the University of Sussex in 2010. Her love of theatre led her to co-found Zambeel Dramatic Readings, a group that performs dramatic readings of Urdu and English text in front of live audiences.

Asma is great example of an IVS alumni doing their part in keeping the arts alive in Pakistan. When asked why she picked the a young institution in Karachi over other options to pursue her education, Asma said,

“I came to IVS as a mature student and had already been practicing and teaching art prior to my decision to enroll as a student. I had the opportunity to observe how the first year of the school evolved, through friends who were studying and teaching there.

By the end of the first year of the school, I was sure that I wanted to study in the institution and advance my knowledge and exposure by working with art practitioners who made up the faculty of the Foundation year, and later the Fine Art department.”

The knowledge and values instilled in IVS students during their time at the university stay with them long after they graduate; Asma’s experience was no different.

“The faculty in the Foundation year programme and the Fine Art department not only steered the courses, but also were leading artists in the city and country. Working with them closely and engaging in the creative process with them inspired years of creativity even after I graduated. They laid the foundation for a creative thought process that still informs my practice.”

Even 25 years after graduating, Asma’s relationship with IVS remains stronger than ever. She’s continued to teach in the Dept. of Fine Art and is a frequent contributor to lecture series’ organized by the Graduate Programme at the university.

“The IVS students work in an atmosphere of creative energy and acquire life-long skills to solve problems and challenges ingeniously. Some of the finest artists, designers, architects, and professionals in related fields have emerged from IVS over its short history.

Being situated in Karachi is itself a contributing factor towards the dynamism at IVS. The school reflects the pace, the approach towards thinking, the diversity and the very manic energy of the city. Even today, the school is constantly evolving, shifting, changing, with the times, always in motion, and never static.”

Wafa holds a Bachelor's degree in Interior Design from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. She is a design aficionado who is currently a full-time Assistant Professor by day and an Interior Design consultant by night. She aims to promote designing safe spaces via interior design and interventions with her freelance practice. Her research interests revolve around topics such as phygital commercial interior spaces, retrofitting interiors, bio-materials and finishes as well as craft in interior spaces.

When she is not facilitating cognitive development or designing, she is found dabbling in various things such as drawing, amateur photography, gadgets, food and travelling the globe.

Swad Chishtie is a Fashion Designer, Entrepreneur, Visual Merchandiser and an Academic instructor. He graduated from the Asian Institute of Fashion Design in 2007 with Bachelor’s Degree in Fashion Design and later completed his Master’s Degree in Design Marketing and Merchandising in 2017. He has been associated with the Fashion Industry/Academics for last 13 years. 

To gain hands on experience and become a seasoned fashion designer in the future, Swad started working at a contemporary fashion brand called “Ego”. Throughout his career, Swad has worked at top-tier fashion houses and designers like Amir Andan, Red, Fifth Avenue, Umer Sayeed, just to name a few. He was also selected as a designer for Pakistan’s first Fashion Week in 2008.

Swad joined Asian Institute of Fashion Design in 2009 as an adjunct faculty and later found a new love and passion for teaching, continued as a permanent faculty and progressed to become the head of Fashion Department. 

Swad has also been affiliated with corporate project such as designing uniforms for the renowned brands like PIA and PSO. He has been associated with Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture since 2018 as Assistant Professor at the Department of Textile Design in the Fashion Design Program.

Suneela Ahmed is an architect, urbanist and an academic. She earned her PhD in 2016 from Oxford Brookes University, UK. Her interests lie in the analyzing the everyday adaptations of architectural and urban spaces at the grass root level by locals of the global south. She also dwells into the mitigation processes through the challenges of globalization, localization and informalization which gives shape to everyday spaces within an urban setting and how these processes form local and global identities. She has written various research papers, book chapters, newspaper articles and presented in conferences around these issues/ themes/ ideas. Her first solo authorship is to be published in October 2022 entitled “Urban Architecture and Local Spaces in Pakistan’ by Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group.

Dr. Suneela’s Resume

Munawar Ali Syed is an interdisciplinary artist and art educator who lives and works in Karachi where he teaches as an Associate Professor at the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture. Munawar has a Bachelor of Fine Art (BFA) major in sculpture from National College of Arts, Lahore in 1999. Later, he completed his Masters in Art education from Beaconhouse National University, Lahore in 2016. Munawar’s work has been shown in various major national and international platforms along with seven solo presentations and several group shows and his works was also included in notable publications. Munawar was also a participating artist in KB17 and KB19. Munawar has also been awarded the SATHA innovation award in 2016 for his contribution in the discipline of public art. He has received ADA National Award 2018/19 for categories of ‘Performance' and ‘Site-Specific’ work. Munawar also got the viewer choice award of the 2019 Sovereign Asian Art prize-Hong Kong.

Currently he teaches drawing in the Foundation Programme at IVS. Previously he taught sculpture, drawing and was a thesis advisor as a visiting and permanent faculty in the Department of Visual Studies – University of Karachi, Textile institute of Pakistan, Karachi School of Arts and Central Institute of Arts and Crafts.

Usman has practiced in the fields of urban planning, architecture and interior design in San Francisco at Gensler and at Meinhardt and TAQ Associates Pvt. Ltd. in Karachi. He also holds a Certificate in Education from The Aga Khan University and a Project Management Professional accreditation, from PMI, U.S.A. As an award-winning designer, his practice has led him to work on urban planning, healthcare, residential, institutional, hospitality, retail and recreational projects. He has also played a pivotal role in shaping the IVS Graduate Programme and is a core member of the degree accreditation inspection team for the Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners. He has reviewed and inspected architecture programs in Karachi, Lahore and Jamshoro.  He has taught architecture thesis at Karachi University and has been a thesis examiner for institutions such as NED-UET in Karachi and BUITEMS in Quetta, Baluchistan.

Alongside practice and the pedagogical query of it, Usman is avidly involved in visual and performing arts through art direction, scriptwriting and painting. In 2019 he channeled these interests into the group show, “dys-CONTENT and its (interior) Civilizations”. Since then, his art has been featured in the international web series “Churails”, and he has worked on commissions for both private collectors and corporate clients alike. His first solo show titled “Unsung” opened in Karachi in the fall of 2021. 

Ansari is currently working as a script editor for an international web series for Zee Entertainment Enterprises and has also been a script consultant for the film “Cake”. 

Strong education professional graduated from USA and IVS, Sadia Kausar is an expert in the design field. Having more than 15+ years of experience, she has demonstrated a strong history of working in the textile and apparel industry. Highly skilled in surface patterning, Sadia has worked with many local and international brands. Her fine workmanship and creative concepts bring new dimensions to both academia and design, where she is a risk-taker and dives with absolute determination. 

Working consistently towards self-development and imparting her past work experiences and new ones amongst her peers and students, the conceptual direction of her work is an appropriate fit for IVS and its interdisciplinary environment.

Subsequent to teaching, Sadia has also dedicated her time in the textile industry through freelance projects, leading design teams, both for local and export markets. She has also visualized lawn collections for fashion design houses, from design to execution for apparel.

Sadia in the past has represented Pakistan at an international platform, while she was an adjunct faculty member at IVS, and also through her freelance projects where she designed home textile products for one of the largest textile trade fair shows.

The experience and exposure acquired through her collaborations and interactions reflect in all of Sadia’s endeavours be it academia or industry.

Swad Chishtie is a Fashion Designer, Entrepreneur, Visual Merchandiser and an Academic instructor. He graduated from the Asian Institute of Fashion Design in 2007 with Bachelor’s Degree in Fashion Design and later completed his Master’s Degree in Design Marketing and Merchandising in 2017. He has been associated with the Fashion Industry/Academics for last 13 years. 

To gain hands on experience and become a seasoned fashion designer in the future, Swad started working at a contemporary fashion brand called “Ego”. Throughout his career, Swad has worked at top-tier fashion houses and designers like Amir Andan, Red, Fifth Avenue, Umer Sayeed, just to name a few. He was also selected as a designer for Pakistan’s first Fashion Week in 2008.

Swad joined Asian Institute of Fashion Design in 2009 as an adjunct faculty and later found a new love and passion for teaching, continued as a permanent faculty and progressed to become the head of Fashion Department. 

Swad has also been affiliated with corporate project such as designing uniforms for the renowned brands like PIA and PSO. He has been associated with Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture since 2018 as Assistant Professor at the Department of Textile Design in the Fashion Design Program.

With a teaching experience of 5 years in various institutes and professional experience of almost 20 years ranging from Fine Art, Photography, Film to Interior and Fashion, Bhatti brings an extensive multidisciplinary approach to his teaching pedagogy.

A graduate of Fine Arts and Masters in Filmmaking from Kingston University, London, Bhatti along with his critical thinking has been instrumental in devising the curriculum for the new Media Design programme in the Communication Design Department.

His experience in the media which includes set design, scriptwriting, 2D/3D animation, non-linear editing, cinematography, lighting & direction, has been an invaluable asset to the students of the Media Design programme.

His teaching methodology reflects the optimism that he believes in, the belief that students are motivated to learn and master their craft; that the youth have a continuous hunger to improve and be a positive influence on the community. 

Haider Ali Naqvi completed his BFA with a distinction from National College of arts Lahore where he was awarded Sir Percy Brown award for excellence in art history. He was also awarded with Imran Mir art prize in 2019.

Haider Ali’s work is informed by the experience of his immediate surroundings, particularly the built environment and how he move through and interact with it. His work often brings together graphite drawings and found objects such as archival documents, photographs and maps to reveal an intersection between architecture, culture, tradition and history.

Since graduation Haider Ali has exhibited in multiple shows nationally and internationally which includes: The Road Less Travelled, Solo show at Cinema 73, Karachi; Reexamine Retrace at AAN Gandhara art space, Karachi; Virtual Reality, online group show collaborated by O art space and art dekho, Singapore; Pretty art for pretty people at Sanat Initiative, Karachi. Open studio at Gasworks, London; Navigating Matter, two person show at Koel gallery, Karachi; Palat ke dekhte hain, Chawkandi Art Gallery, Karachi; Conurbations, solo show at Old Hum TV Studios, Arts Council, Karachi; Art for Education: Contemporary Artists from Pakistan, Museo Diocesano Carlo Maria Martini, Milan; Augmentation, US Consulate, Karachi; Prologue-Epilogue, Sanat Initiative, Karachi; Karachi Ka Manzarnama, T2F Faraar, Karachi; Five star show, O Art Space Lahore; Microcosm, Gandhara art Gallery Karachi; and Sugarcoated, Hoxton's Basement, London.

Haider Ali has also been awarded with multiple artist residencies including Gasworks international artist residency, London; Single artist residency at Vasl, Karachi; Artist residency at Sanat initiative, Karachi.

Dr. Faiza Mushtaq Associate Professor PhD. Sociology, Northwestern University, USA M.A. Sociology, Northwestern University, USA B.A. Sociology, McGill University, Canada Dr. Faiza Mushtaq is a sociologist with a PhD from Northwestern University. She joined IVS as the Dean and Executive Director in January 2021, continuing her strong track record of academic leadership and excellence in teaching, research and writing.

Dr. Mushtaq has been the Chair of the Social Sciences and Liberal Arts department at the Institution of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi, She has also held research and teaching appointments at a number of institutions in the U.S. and Pakistan, including Northwestern University, George Washington University, the Lahore University of Management Sciences, and the Collective for Social Science Research. Her research interests include the sociology of culture, gender, social movements, and qualitative methods. She is currently part of a collaborative ethnographic research project exploring the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on youth well-being, gendered division of labor and family dynamics in Karachi.

Durreshahwar Alvi currently pursues her interest in transdisciplinary knowledge and research to document, understand and bridge the gap between the biosphere and human development. Her area of focus within this is urban land management and development to work towards increasing the biodiversity of cities. Durreshahwar’s other area of interest lies in exploring architecture, and cities, as complex adaptive systems, drawing

understanding from natural living systems.

Durreshahwar’s work has been exhibited internationally as a member of the design team of the National Pavilion of Pakistan at the Biennale Architettura, La Biennale di Venezia, 2018.

Durreshahwar has been teaching at IVS since 2016. Before this, she taught as Adjunct Faculty, while working for Arif Hasan-Architect and Town Planner as an architect and researcher.

Durreshahwar’s Resume

Affan Baghpati is a Karachi based visual artist and art educator. He completed his undergraduate degree in Fine Arts from IVS and has a master’s degree in Art & Design Studies from Beaconhouse National University, Lahore. He is currently a lecturer at the IVS, teaching 3D Design Studio course in the Foundation Programme. Baghpati has showcased his works at Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Delhi, Milan, New York, Philadelphia, Beirut, and Dubai. His works were also a part of the Sindh Art Festival, Karachi Biennale, Lahore Biennale, Beirut Art Fair, and India Art Fair.

For Dubai Expo-2020, Pakistan pavilion curatorial team commissioned him an art installation which will be on display till March 2022. Baghpati received a Merit Scholarship Award from UNESCO Madanjeet Singh Institute for South Asia Regional Cooperation. He is also the recipient of the first cycle of the ‘Artist Residency in Museum’ in Karachi, hosted by the State Bank of Pakistan Museum and Art Gallery in 2020. He received the Art Design Architecture Awards (ADA) award for the category of sculpture in 2021.

At IVS, Baghpati’s studio practice revolves around object making and installation art through the canon of old regional design and material culture of but not limited to South Asia.

Assistant Professor of the Communication Design Department at IVS, Alfiya Halai, supports diversity in pedagogy through her interest in research, strategy, and design development. She strives to bridge academic and commercial design practices through innovative methodologies and collaboration with the industry to provide students with a platform for experiential learning. As a supporter of mindful communication, Alfiya’s career path has centred around meaningful reach. From a student to a professional in advertising, she has consistently strived to critically evaluate the applied strategies of research, concept development, and design. Her re-association with academia has allowed her to promote creative design practices based on critical cultural inquiry. Throughout her career, from the Creative Manager at Adcom Leo Burnett to Head Creative at O2 Communications, and then, Creative Director/ Partner at Hue Creatives Design House, Alfiya has vied to assess the more fulfilling cultural and ethical import of advertising than the contemporary creative manifestations that majorly employ emotional appeals of needs and wants. At IVS, therefore, Alfiya focuses on projecting design as a homogenous force that develops a responsible societal mindset. 

Alfiya has served as the General Secretary of the IVS Faculty Council and is a member of the IVS Campus Conduct Committee established under the IVS Policy on Protection Against Harassment And Discrimination.

Strong education professional graduated from USA and IVS, Sadia Kausar is an expert in the design field. Having more than 15+ years of experience, she has demonstrated a strong history of working in the textile and apparel industry. Highly skilled in surface patterning, Sadia has worked with many local and international brands. Her fine workmanship and creative concepts bring new dimensions to both academia and design, where she is a risk-taker and dives with absolute determination. 

Working consistently towards self-development and imparting her past work experiences and new ones amongst her peers and students, the conceptual direction of her work is an appropriate fit for IVS and its interdisciplinary environment.

Subsequent to teaching, Sadia has also dedicated her time in the textile industry through freelance projects, leading design teams, both for local and export markets. She has also visualized lawn collections for fashion design houses, from design to execution for apparel.

Sadia in the past has represented Pakistan at an international platform, while she was an adjunct faculty member at IVS, and also through her freelance projects where she designed home textile products for one of the largest textile trade fair shows.

The experience and exposure acquired through her collaborations and interactions reflect in all of Sadia’s endeavours be it academia or industry.

Burney is a fine artist from Pakistan currently living and working in Preston, UK. She has a MA in Fine Art from the University of Central Lancashire, UK. She has been teaching Basic Design Studio in Foundation Programme at IVS for more than 12 years. She also advises students on research projects and papers as well as on public art projects to help the community around IVS to raise awareness on diverse issues. She has also delivered lectures and taught various courses on Art & Design at different universities and institutions in Karachi, namely SZABIST, Iqra University and University of Karachi.

Burney has been actively writing and researching about art & design and her core areas of study is public art, having published and presented several research papers in Pakistan and abroad. She has done large public art projects within the province and has worked on a group project with Karachi Biennale. Besides this, she has exhibited at several art galleries in Pakistan, including an exhibition at the Canadian Embassy in Islamabad. Recently, she also exhibited her installation works in London as well. Burney's art practice revolves around the themes of colonialism, post-colonial societies, the ideas of feminism and identity. Her practice includes a diverse range of alternative techniques, assemblages and also encompasses traditional and new printmaking methods and experiments.

Asma Mundrawala’s interdisciplinary practice intersects the visual arts, theatre and performance, and education. Her research interests in popular culture, public spheres, Urdu literature and its performative traits critically inform her creative practice and approach to art education.   

Asma is the co-founder and creative director of Zambeel Dramatic Readings. Her current practice renders texts from Urdu literature in a dramatised form to a live audience, creating dynamic collusion between literature and performance. Referencing traditions of storytelling and the contemporary form of the radio play, the works aim to enliven narratives through sound and recitation. She has also initiated and curated the ongoing project Zambeelnaama, a monthly audio channel for Zambeel Dramatic Readings.

Asma’s visual practice has been represented in exhibitions internationally, including the Sharjah Art Foundation, in Sharjah; the Devi Art Foundation in Delhi, India; Project 88 in Mumbai, India; and the Aicon Gallery in New York, USA. Under Zambeel’s banner, she has performed across Pakistan at the Literature and the Children’s Literature Festivals in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad; and internationally for the Devi Art Foundation in Delhi and The Citizen’s Foundation in London. Her academic research has been published in The Routledge Companion to Applied Performance, Volume Two, (Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group); the journal RIDE: Research in Drama Education, (Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group, UK); and Mapping South Asia through Contemporary Theatre - Essays on the Theatres of Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, (Palgrave Macmillan, UK). 

Asma has been teaching at the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture since 2010 and is a Professor in the Department of Fine Art.

Links:

Zambeel Dramatic Readings: https://zambeeldramaticreadings.wordpress.com/ 

Zambeelnaama: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe6NFbeVoSrgC9WerI-yERg 

Danish Ahmed is a visual artist who has been associated with academia since the last 25 years. After completing his MFA from UNSW in Australia, he returned to Pakistan and has been contributing to the art & design education in an academic leadership position ever since. Ahmed also taught ‘Drawing & Painting’ to undergraduate students at the College of Fine Arts, UNSW while doing his research for MFA. He is currently working at IVS as an Associate Professor and the Deputy Director – Quality Enhancement Cell. Before coming to IVS, Ahmed taught at Textile Institute of Pakistan for 17 years where he was an Associate Professor and served as the Programme Coordinator for ‘Textile Design Technology’ programme. Has participated in a number of group shows within Pakistan and a solo show in Sydney. Ahmed is currently investigating the boundaries of the genre of painting by exploring the process of digital printing and its fusion with the conventional drawing and painting mediums. Danish Ahmed is also one of the founding members of The Karachi Collective (TKC) an online platform engaging in a discourse on art, design and interdisciplinary humanities. [br]

[br]Throughout his teaching career, his core competency remained drawing and painting. He considers drawing as one of the most spontaneous, organic and truthful processes that helps students to investigate, organize and represent ideas. During his long teaching career, he spearheaded numerous curriculum exercises and developed several courses.

After completing her bachelor’s degree in Architecture, Mahwish started working with the Heritage Foundation to explore her quest for the conservation and adaptive reuse of buildings. Later on, completed her diploma in Project Management in 2013 from NED and worked as a commercial architect for the Habitt Group and Impact Design International. She worked on multiple scale projects from architecture intervention to interior design. Her work trajectory from practice changed in 2012 when she found her inner contentment in academia and started her academic career in fall 2012 from NED University. Developed love for academic writing and since then authored papers for many National and International conferences. To name a few DCA, IRCICA, UIA, IAP, Paris Design Summit and APMS New York.

She started working as a faculty and Head of Department of Interior design at Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture in 2014 and completed her successful tenure in 2021. Currently she is serving as an Assistant professor and teaches Interior design studios and her core subject Adaptive reuse and Interior Architecture theories. She is currently exploring her passion in education and a journey to enable others to achieve their respective paths. Her recent body of work mainly focuses on the interdisplinary nature of the design both in academia and practice.

She is running a design practice by the Name of M Studio which specializes in Architecture and Interior design which aims to create spaces which respond to its user needs and are sensitive to the context. Her M luxury furniture line is her recent venture which deals with residential furniture, finishes and products. 

Tazeen Hussain is an Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Communication Design at Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture. She has also served as visiting faculty in the departments of Visual Studies at Karachi University and Media Sciences at Szabist.

As a researcher, Hussain has presented her work at national and international conferences, and published internationally as well. 

Her current interests include the re-examination of design education, its conception and evolution in Pakistan, whilst exploring its possibilities as an active contributor to the socio-cultural and political landscape. Towards this, she has designed and initiated a programme titled Critical Design Education and Practice funded by US State Mission Pakistan through the University Partnerships Grants Programs 2020-2023. 

She also serves on the Board of Studies for Szabist and Shaheed Allah Buksh Soomro University of Art, Design and Heritages, Jamshoro, Sindh

Hussain has been volunteering her services to archive creative practices in Pakistan, promote social entrepreneurship and sustainable development, using design in education and non-educational contexts. 

Ira Kazi’s practice intersects between urbanism and landscape design. At the core of her work are values of participatory action for community development. Her research seeks to understand design issues and create methodologies for developing and maintaining green open breathable spaces in an otherwise concrete jungle. 

As the principal partner at Kazi Landscape Design, Ira has worked on numerous residential and commercial landscape design projects exploring sustainability through parks, schools, residential gardens, restaurants, and urban spaces. Enthusiastic about passing her knowledge, she has taught landscape, urban, and rural environment design to students of various levels at IVS over the past decade. 

Ira has also designed Lignum Park, one of the three adjacent parks adopted by IVS. While working in New York for Dadras Architects, she worked on revitalizing various public spaces and streets. Her inclusive design process ensures the participation of neighborhood stakeholders - something she strives to familiarize students within her design studios. 

Ira's Resume

Kamran Haider joined teaching after an extensive experience of 10 years in the discipline of Civil Engineering. He worked with reputable companies such as Fida Husein & Associate and Lotia & Lotia as an Associate Engineer. Haider has a Diploma of Associate Engineering from GCT and Bachelor of Technology in Civil Technology from Indus University, Karachi. He also has another Bachelors of Arts degree from Karachi University. Teaching became Kamran Haider’s core profession in 2005 when he joined IVS where he is currently working as a lecturer. Along with a long association with teaching, he also works as a consultant for residential and commercial projects in Karachi.

During all his teaching career, Haider has been associated with teaching mainly ‘Technical Drawing’ courses in the Foundation Programme. He has successfully developed teaching techniques suitable for first year students who are experiencing the art & design studio practice for the first time. His instructional accuracy makes it easier for students to comfortably learn this highly challenging and technically heavy subject. Students from different departments also come to Kamran Haider for consultation related to their architectural drawing solutions.

Living and working in Karachi, Arsalan Nasir is a creative practitioner and art educator. He obtained his Master’s Degree in Art & Design Studies, from Beaconhouse National University, Lahore, in 2017 where he received the UMMESA South Asia Scholarship Award. Nasir specializes in new media forms of art and interactive installations embedding social and environmental critical narratives in his work. Nasir’s earliest introduction to academia was as a teaching assistant to Ms. Salima Hashmi and Malcom Hutchison in the Art Education program at Beaconhouse National University. As a permanent faculty at IVS, Nasir was teaching Basic Design in Foundation Programme since 2020, coordinating with his team to improvise the course during the pandemic to meet the needs of online teaching a studio course. He developed and taught two elective courses at the department of Fine Art to 3rd year students which involved his expertise as a new media artist, working with interactive technologies. Arsalan joined the Dept. of Fine Art as full-time faculty in Spring 2022. 

Syed Zain Hasan holds a bachelor’s degree in Interior Architecture and Design from England. Since his return to Pakistan in 2015, he’s worked with DAZ studios and YOCA parallel to his own design practice. His work experience has an interdisciplinary approach enveloping all sectors within the design industry ranging from Architecture / Interior design and Product Design. He spent 5 years in the industry practising his skills on multiple typologies ranging from Residential to Healthcare projects before joining IVS as a Lecturer.

Zain is also an active faculty member for the Continuing Education Programme (CEP) at IVS and has been involved in curriculum development for Advance Diploma in Interior Design.He makes a point to assist the association of interior designers in Pakistan while holding the position of Secretary at Pakistan Institute of Interior Designers (PIID). This includes the revival and awareness of the association and the significance of the maturing discipline in Pakistan.

As an Interior Architect his interest and research in design is derived from the enhancement of technology and the response it develops for the ever-evolving industry.

Seher Naveed was awarded a BFA from the Indus Valley School of Art & Architecture, Karachi in 2007 and an MA in Fine Art from Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design, London in 2009. Her practice draws inspiration from repetitive geometric patterns found in urban architecture, with her hometown Karachi serving as a source of inspiration and even a direct reference in her work. She is interested in the iconography of urban landscapes and its critical engagement with ideas of formalism, image, and abstraction in painting.

She has exhibited her work in various local and international galleries. Her work titled ‘Tip 1 & Tip 4’ was recently acquired by the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, New Delhi, for their permanent collection. She participated in the Murree Museum Artists Residency, the Vasl Taaza Tareen Artists Residency as a writer in residence, Start Jordan, Jordan, as an artist in residence and Sutra residency in Kathmandu, Nepal. In 2015, Seher initiated and curated a research project called ‘Drawing Documents’ which is an on-going series of publications that looks at various drawing practices in Pakistan.

Maham Khurshid is an architect, designer and research enthusiast. Her writings orchestrate satire as a theatrical commentary on spatial practices while her research and practice expand on the soliloquies of space as an opportunity for collaborative and interdisciplinary discourse. 

Her work investigates the politics of power in urban narratives, sieving it through the lens of intersectionality within the domains of privilege and marginalisation. For her master's thesis, supervised by Dr. Emma Cheatle at the Sheffield School of Architecture, she drew from John Hedjuk’s Masques of Medusa as an allegory to represent the urban narrative of ‘the other side of the bridge’ in Karachi to map the socio-political and socio-economic impact of politics of power in the city.

Maham’s intention as an academic is to intertwine design learning with a conceptual and theoretical emblem. As a practising architect, she continues to explore her flair for corporate, retail and residential design in various notable projects across the city.

Maham’s Resume

Faiqa Jalal is a Karachi based visual artist and received her BDes from National College of Arts (NCA), Lahore. Previously, she has worked at Interflow Advertising and Orient McCann as a senior designer, developing design strategies for print, TV and radio promotional campaigns for various brands. She is currently a lecturer in the Foundation Programme at IVS. Her research "Communication and Representation in Design", has been published in International Art & Design Conference proceedings hosted by IVS in collaboration with Kennesaw State University, Georgia, USA. She has continued working as a freelance designer focusing on branding, which includes print collaterals, website design and social media marketing.

Faiqa's teaching philosophy revolves around facilitating meaningful and practical learning to students through active and experiential teaching in studio practice by creating safe spaces for collaborative and collective learning. Her teaching methodology is student centered and aims to support students as individuals in all facets of their growth and development. As an educator, the empathic aspect to teaching is critical to her that leads to a good working relationship with students. Her methodology reflects upon her teaching experience, creating links with prior knowledge and experiences, creating new curiosities for students.

Since 1988, Farah Mahbub has been exhibiting as a visual artist in Pakistan and the international world. Equally adept in analogue printing as she is in the digital darkroom, her work traverses from documentary to digital photo-montage techniques, incorporating layers of light, shade, textures, architecture, natural objects, animals, landscapes and calligraphic text. Her visual-scapes, often unpopulated, are as dense as the multiple meanings they extend to, inspired by philosophical discourse on Sufism; insights garnered from traveling and reflections on nature in the respite of her studio. 

She joined the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture in 1997 as a faculty member, where she has been ever since. Under her tenure, photography has evolved from a single class into an undergraduate minor spanning the Communication Design and Fine Art and Interior Design departments. For Farah Mahbub, photography allows her to reconcile the rift between mindfulness and expression. Only when ideas and intuitions connect with imagery, can thought and execution become one. From this unity of value, a visual language emerges that speaks from imagination and familiarity; it speaks back to the audience, to the news, to foresight, to philosophy, to awe. As a highly personal form of communication, the image offers an open point of engagement: both the maker and the consumer seek out a confirmation of themselves through the layers of meaning that allow the image to transcend its two-dimensional limitations. Thus, the silence of the photograph cries out; but you are quiet, and so am I.

Seema’s work transpires from the energy found in the urban metropolis and her sculptures, drawings and collages indicate her capacity to understand the most unusual materials, which are in cooperated in her oeuvre. Nusrat’s current research references the culture of fortification in Karachi, whereby buildings are secured and protected from potential disruptions and violence. Her work uses this visual representation to consider the increasing politicisation of architecture in our cities in volatile times. Seema Nusrat lives and works in Karachi, Pakistan. Selected exhibitions include Brave new world, Canvas Gallery (2020), Proposals Towards a New Architecture, Gandhara Art Gallery, Karachi, Pakistan (2017); New Urban Landscapes, Koel Gallery, Karachi (2017); the inaugural Lahore Biennale (2018), Gateway: Structures of Meaning | Architectures of Perception, Abu Dhabi Art Fair, Abu Dhabi, UAE (2018), Young Sub-continent Project, Serendipity Arts Festival, Goa, India (2018). Residencies attended, Pioneer Art Residency, Khushab, Pakistan (2018), JSW, Abhisaran SAARC artist residency- Vijyanagar, India (2014), 4th Fukuoka Asian Art Triennial - Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, Fukuoka, Japan (2009), Gasworks Residency, London, UK (2008) https://www.seemanusrat.com

Anushka Rustomji is an educator and visual artist, based in Karachi. She graduated from the National College of Arts, Lahore with a BFA in 2012 on a merit scholarship. Her practice is influenced by themes of visual history and erasure, in reference to colonization and diasporic communities. Her visual vocabulary is informed by ancient Eastern imagery, practices, texts and traditions. She has exhibited her work nationally and internationally. 

She has been a participant in practice-based and theoretical workshops, including the 'Curatorial Workshop' conducted by the American Institute of Pakistan Studies and Lahore Biennale Foundation in 2018, 'Introduction to critically reflective practices for Foundation Year Studio Faculty' by Dr. Razia Sadik, in 2017, 'Faculty Mentoring Workshop, 2017' by Vasl Artists’ Collective, conducted by Dr. Iftikhar Dadi, Dr. Kamran Asdar et al in Karachi. She was one of the three member team to formulate and conduct a workshop (in association with The Global Shapers Community) on 'An Introduction to the Art of Story-telling through Art and Design', for residents/ volunteers at the Social Innovation Academy (SINA), Mpigi village, Uganda. She was a participant at the ‘Pilotenkueche artist residency’ in 2015 in Leipzig, Germany. 

Rustomji started teaching at the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture in 2020. She previously taught at the Beaconhouse National University (SVAD), Lahore, National College of Arts, Lahore, Pakistan Institute of Fashion and Design, Lahore, and Kinnaird College for Women University, Lahore. 

Initially trained as an architect from the National College of Arts Lahore, Mehmooda Maqsood works in the domain of socio-spatial development practice. Her work and research examine formal and informal development processes, and local communities in remote and peri-urban areas of Pakistan, Nepal, and Chile. 

Currently teaching at IVSAA, Mehmooda has previously taught at Karachi University and COMSATS Lahore, where she collaborated with London Metropolitan University in the studio Architecture of Rapid Change and Scarce Resources.

Mehmooda’s current research involves assessing the quality of life through a quali-quant approach, of migrant populations from various ethnic backgrounds in informal settlements of Karachi, which is part of the larger project Access to Justice & HRs for development and resilience of informal urban communities. She has been published in the academic journal Revista de Urbanismo.

Mehmooda's Resume

Javaria M. Rafiq is an Assistant Professor currently teaching in the Foundation programme, received her B Design Degree in Communication Design from the Department of Visual Studies, University of Karachi. She started her teaching career at Habib University followed by Karachi School of Art. Currently, she is teaching the Basic Design course in the Foundation Year Programme. She has been a part of the Communication Design Department as an Adjunct faculty teaching Visual Systems. She has worked as a visual artist and assistant project manager in public-space exhibitions and inclusive wall painting projects for ‘I Am Karachi Pakistan’, Naval Academy, and a few projects for NOWPDP for the deaf artists and designers, an initiative for the physically challenged.

For Rafiq, being a communication designer and educator is about more than teaching students how to create interesting stories. It’s about imparting her personal philosophy on design, a process she believes is immersive and collaborative at its core. She also has a fascination with learning about how behaviors shape the human perspective and is interested in exploring how design could play a part in it. Her interest in learning and understanding the skill of learning prompted her to explore the field of education and become an educator.

Over the years, she has developed a keen interest in the area of Interaction Design. She is a member of The Interaction Design Foundation, enrolled in online certification for UX/UI Design. One can view  her certifications at www.interactiondesign.org/javaria-m-rafiq

Natasha Mukarram is a resident of Karachi and has received her Bachelors of Interior Design from IVS. Previously, having taught Basic Design at her alma mater, for the Foundation Programme, she also taught studio courses for 2nd and 3rd year Interior Design. In Karachi, Natasha has worked on a number of turnkey residential and commercial spaces as an interior designer and a creative head for multiple projects and has showcased visual work for multiple art exhibits,  Apart from interior design, Natasha is a professional makeup artist and also creative director of her own brand ‘Creatives & Such’.

At IVS, Natasha has been teaching for more than 7 years. Currently, as Assistant Professor, she teaches 3D Design for Foundation Programme, which encompasses introductions & explorations of form, structure & space. In addition to her teaching practice, Natasha has been involved with the development of novel assignment briefs to constantly re-frame and re-think the curriculum for 3D design and its practices. She has also been a participant of a number of certificate courses that have explored curriculum building, rethinking pedagogical approach to art & design and visual narratives.

Zohaib Zuby has an interdisciplinary background in philosophy and architecture. Having graduated as an architect, he worked as a Social Activist for two years after founding Uraan, a youth movement. He later specialized in Wittgenstein Studies when completing his post-graduate study in Muslim Cultures, from the Aga Khan University, ISMC from London. Since his return, he has developed curricula on philosophy and humanities subjects within various levels of education. He has pioneered philosophy for children (P4C) in Pakistan at The Learning Tree School and continues to teach philosophical programs at various institutions, including Islamic Reformism since 1857; Neoliberalism, Globalization, and Post-Coloniality.

Zohaib’s research and practice currently centers around Affordable Housing, focusing on customized interventions to assist the low income, and has most recently completed Wallah’s House and Fauzia’s House in Karachi, Pakistan.

He has also co-founded and launched a meditation and mindfulness platform, Be-khudi, which is the first to produce Urdu and English guided meditations; and is working on the design of an MBSR program for low-income schools in Pakistan, with the support of the John Fell Funded Grant.

Zohaib is on a sabbatical from Fall 2022 to Fall 2023.

Zohaib's Resume

Nurayah Sheikh is an art educator and a visual artist. Her pedagogical trajectory closely draws upon her own investigations and relationship with the medium of printmaking. She has taught the subject at IVS since 2005, designed curriculums, led workshops, coordinated national & international educational exchanges, and fundraising projects originating at the IVS Print studio.  Research through her visual practice explores the complex multiplicity in avatars associated with the woman. Sheikh has widely shown her work, represented Pakistan on panel discussions, and participated in collaborative research in the context of printmaking. Some notable platforms of engagement; 2021 investigating historical frameworks linking NCA and Slade, Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art, London (PMC), the Karachi Biennale 2019, the Guanlan International Print Biennial and Guanlan Forum at China Printmaking Museum 2019, the KB17, DECK Gallery Singapore 2016, Karachi Literature Festival 2016 and at the Sharjah Museum 2012 “Trajectories”: 19th-21st century; Printmaking from Pakistan and India.

Sheikh is a board member for the gallery ‘O Art space’, Lahore, Workshop coordinator at Koel Gallery, Member of the core committee for ‘Pursukoon Karachi’, and is associated with Karwan-e-Hayat, an organization active in caring for mentally ill indigent patients. Through these platforms she has curated and worked on abundant community-building projects.

She received her BFA with a distinction in Printmaking and Sculpture from the National College of Arts, Lahore, and was awarded a gold medal for academic excellence in MA Art Education at Mariam Dawood School of Visual Art & Design, BNU, Lahore. Her MA research probed Student Assessment Structures within Undergraduate Art schools in Pakistan and focused on the premise and practice of teachers' preferred models of classroom assessment.

Currently Associate Professor and Head of the IVS Foundation Programme, Sheikh looks to strengthen and build upon existing components to align the horizontal and vertical integration within and beyond the scope of the programme. Actively engaged with students and the art ed. community at large through teaching, dialogic sessions, thesis critiques, curation, and coordination of multi-aged workshops, she strives to instil passion towards holistic learning in a critically engaged environment. 

Sarfarazuddin is originally from Gilgit-Baltistan region and currently works and lives in Karachi. He has a BDes in product design from the National College of Arts, Lahore. Before joining academia, Sarfaraz worked as a product designer in different product development companies including Interwood (Pvt) Limited; where his core responsibility was to develop concepts of new products and design modification of the existing product line. He is currently working at IVS as a lecturer where he teaches Technical Drawing in the Foundation Programme. Sarfaraz also teaches prototyping, model making and industrial drafting in the Industrial Design programme at the department of Visual Studies – University of Karachi. He contributes to the Aga Khan Youth and Sports Board as a member to conduct art & design workshops for youth development programme.

Adeel uz Zafar is a visual artist, independent curator and an art educator. Zafar holds a BFA in painting with a distinction from the National College of Arts, Lahore. Zafar has participated in many national and international exhibitions with eight solo presentations, numerous group shows, art fairs and Biennales including Art Stage Singapore, Art Fair Philippines, Art Dubai, Art Abu Dhabi, Art Basel Hong Kong, Pulse Art Fair New York, India Art Fair and the 2nd Kathmandu International Art Festival. He has been a part of a number of national and international residencies including the Studio R.M Residency-Lahore, Parramatta Artists’ Studios and Cicada Press COFA UNSW-Australia, Creative Fusion International Artists Residency-Cleveland Foundation-USA and at C3A – Center of Contemporary Art, Cordoba-Spain. He is also an appointed nominator from the South East Asian region for the Sovereign Asian Art Prize – Hong Kong since 2019.

Zafar is currently working as an Assistant Professor at the Indus Valley School of Art & Architecture. He teaches and leads the coordination for Drawing courses in the Foundation Programme. He has previously held the post of an Art Instructor at the Karachi Grammar School. Adeel uz Zafar has also been appointed as an examiner and external juror at the NCA, Lahore - Karachi University and the University of Art, Design and Heritages, Jamshoro.     

Aliya Yousuf, received her BFA (2003) and Postgraduate Diploma in Photography (2011) from Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture. She has also completed her Masters in Art Education from Beaconhouse University in 2020. She has participated in several residencies and her work has been exhibited in group and solo shows in Pakistan, Canada, South Korea and the UK. Primarily practicing as a ceramic sculptor, her work most often finds its basis in harmony with nature, listening to the material speak and letting the words be translated by her fingers into forms that in turn speak to the viewer. Deconstructing and then reconstructing simple familiar forms to challenge traditional views while simultaneously creating tensions through contrasts and ambiguities.

She applies a similar approach to her teaching by taking the ambiguous path of new technological developments in the fields of art making and art objects. Challenging the traditional teaching pedagogies and methodologies with recent shifts in art practices where the boundaries have been blurred between various disciplines of art & design which she tries to address in art education as well. She defines her main aspiration is to prepare the new generation for future responsibilities and success in life, by means of acquisition of the organized bodies of information and prepared forms of skills with comprehensive understanding of art making and application of craft with deep understanding characteristics of materials. She has presented these concerns in her peer reviewed paper - Indian Ocean Craft Triennial : IOTA21, AUSTRALIA.

Currim Suteria is an architect and educator based in Karachi, Pakistan. As a practitioner, Currim has been involved in projects of varying scales including residences, high-density low-cost housing, and hospitality in northern Pakistan. Presently he also serves as a design consultant for the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat. He currently teaches in the graduate programme at the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture and in the Department of Architecture at IVS. He completed his Bachelor of Science in Architecture with a minor in International Development Studies from McGill University, and his Master of Architecture from the University of Waterloo, Canada.

Dr. Faiza Mushtaq Associate Professor PhD. Sociology, Northwestern University, USA M.A. Sociology, Northwestern University, USA B.A. Sociology, McGill University, Canada Dr. Faiza Mushtaq is a sociologist with a PhD from Northwestern University. She joined IVS as the Dean and Executive Director in January 2021, continuing her strong track record of academic leadership and excellence in teaching, research and writing.

Dr. Mushtaq has been the Chair of the Social Sciences and Liberal Arts department at the Institution of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi, She has also held research and teaching appointments at a number of institutions in the U.S. and Pakistan, including Northwestern University, George Washington University, the Lahore University of Management Sciences, and the Collective for Social Science Research. Her research interests include the sociology of culture, gender, social movements, and qualitative methods. She is currently part of a collaborative ethnographic research project exploring the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on youth well-being, gendered division of labor and family dynamics in Karachi.

Sadia Salim's multidisciplinary art practice is informed by the narratives of place, lived experiences and everyday objects. While she works in multiple mediums, ceramics remains her forte, and her practice has evolved into an intensive study of materials and techniques associated with the medium. The study and research have become a focus, for the benefit of pedagogy and for the promotion of crafts, especially kashikari, practiced in Sindh and Southern Punjab. As part of her research and creative practice, she has participated in and presented at local and international conferences, residencies, exhibitions, and biennials. Her visual work and writings have been presented in notable publications.

Salim has established the first interdisciplinary graduate programme at the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture (IVS) and was its founding director from 2018-21. She has extensive experience in teaching art and design and previously revamped and led the Department of Ceramics at IVS for five years. She is a founder member of Pursukoon Karachi, a collective that organises artistic events in public spaces.

Salim is a recipient of the coveted Commonwealth Arts and Crafts Award and Fulbright Scholarship. She received a B.Des. from IVS, and an Ed.M. in Art and Art Education from Columbia University, New York.

Exhibitions

Karachi Biennale KB17 and 19.

Lahore Biennale 01.

Global Studios, Bluecoat Gallery, Liverpool.

Corobrik National Ceramics Exhibition, Johannesburg.

BKK, South Asian women respond to conflict, Leeds City Museum and Gallery. 

Inaugural Exhibition, National Art Gallery, Islamabad.

Tale of the Tile, Mohatta Palace Museum, Karachi.

Artist in Residence

Künstlerhaus Stadttöpferei Neumunster, Germany.

Ceramic Laboratory, Mark Rothko Centre, Latvia.

Third International Ceramic Symposium, Turkey.

FADA, University of Johannesburg, South Africa.

Greatmore Studios, South A.

Institute of Ceramic Studies, Japan. 

Presentations

Ceramic Education Conference, Izzet Baysal University, Turkey.

Summer Lecture Series, University of the Arts, Philadelphia.

Fuse:Refuse, Alchemy Festival, Royal Albert Hall, London.

District Six Museum, Cape Town.

Website

http://cargocollective.com/sadiasalim

Zarmeene Shah is an academic, and an independent curator and writer currently based in Karachi, Pakistan. Focusing on global contemporary art with specialist knowledge of the Global South (and Pakistan in particular), Shah’s research-based practice investigates ideas of power and control, geography and territory, rights and access.[br]

[br] With an MA in Critical & Curatorial Studies from Columbia University in 2010, Shah became one of Pakistan’s first professionally qualified curators. Since then she has curated and been involved in the production of several notable and often large-scale exhibitions of contemporary art institutionally and independently, including ‘The Rising Tide: New Directions in Art From Pakistan’ (2010), the 4th Cairo Video Festival (2011), the politically focused ‘Parrhesia’ I & II shows (2011 & 2015), the Karachi Biennale (2017), Althea Thauberger’s ‘Pagal Pagal Pagal Pagal Filmi Dunya’ (2017), and Madiha Aijaz’s ‘Memorial for the Lost Pages’ at CAG Vancouver (2020). [br]

[br] She has previously served as Consultant for South Asian Art for CCA Derry-Londonderry (Northern Ireland), Assistant Director & Curator at the Mohatta Palace Museum (Karachi), and Curator-at-Large of the inaugural Karachi Biennale (KB17). She has also led curatorial workshops and hosted and taken part in numerous talks, conferences and panel discussions. [br]

 
[br] Shah is considered one of the country’s foremost writers on contemporary art, with a host of contributions in magazines, journals, catalogues, books and monographs. She is currently Associate Professor at the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture where she has previously been Head of the Liberal Arts program.[br]

Currim Suteria is an architect and educator based in Karachi, Pakistan. As a practitioner, Currim has been involved in projects of varying scales including residences, high-density low-cost housing, and hospitality in northern Pakistan. Presently he also serves as a design consultant for the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat. He currently teaches in the graduate programme at the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture and in the Department of Architecture at IVS. He completed his Bachelor of Science in Architecture with a minor in International Development Studies from McGill University, and his Master of Architecture from the University of Waterloo, Canada.

KOEL Gallery held an exhibition by the first graduates of M.Phil. in Art & Design, IVS, on August 22, 5:00 - 8:00 pm.

The Marium Abdulla Library held Part 1 of its Dramatic Reading Series featuring Zarqa Naz as the Guest Reader. 

IVS hosted Open Day 2023 for prospective students and their friends and families. 

The event was about creating games from anything (literally anything)! It can be a card game or it can be a board game, it can even be a cleaning game. There were no rules whatsoever, except for one: No programming and no arts were involved. Participants used their imagination and objects required to make a game, develop a set of rules/gameplay and make sure it is fun to play.

The opening night of: Kaghazi Kashtiyan (paper boats): The Pakistani Bengali Story, on Thursday 18th May from 5pm at IVS, with a special performance at 6.45pm from the Khel Gymnastics National Champions. =

The show opened a window to the experiences of the Pakistani Bengali community living in Karachi. It is part of the Partition of Identity project, a cross university collaboration between University College London, UK and LUMS.

IVS was  a Project Partner in the study.

Session 2 of the Building Foundations series by the Foundation Programme took place on 11 May 2023 at 4PM at Mir Khalil ur Rahman Studio.

We screened the award-winning work of Ali Rez, Babar Sheikh (CD alumnus), and Atiya Zaidi. They shared the  the creative process behind their innovative ad campaign and got an inside look at the techniques and technologies used to bring the film to life.

Bio of Panelist:

Ali Rez
Chief Creative Officer
Impact BBDO Group MENAP

Ranked among the Top 5 Creative leaders in the world, and named Creative Person of the Year by Campaign magazine twice, Ali Rez is the most awarded creative in the Middle East with more than 750 international awards, which include Grands Prix, Golds, and several other metals across Cannes Lions, Clios, D&AD, Effie, One Show, Dubai Lynx, Spikes and many more. In a 20-year career spanning across USA, MENA, and APAC, Rez has handled global clients such as the 150-billion-dollar ChevronTexaco brand, PepsiCo, Mars, Adobe, and Visa. Rez currently is the Chief Creative Officer at BBDO for Middle East Africa and Pakistan, where his work has been instrumental in helping BBDO be named the No.2 Creative Agency in the World.


Atiya Zaidi
Managing Director and Creative Executive Director BBDO Pakistan

Atiya has two decades of experience in the advertising industry, working on various local and international brands. She is the first Pakistani woman to be selected for Cannes Lions ‘See It Be It’ program, D&AD’s Rare Creative program, and the Pitch magazines’ 100 Superwomen list (2019).

Babar Sheikh
Babar Sheikh is an internationally acclaimed filmmaker, ad film director, musician, and audio-visual installation artist. A graduate of IVS, he works comprehensively to develop film education in the country. He is based in Karachi and has directed and produced numerous commercials, music videos, genre-defying documentaries, and short films.

The Student Council organized a Summer Carnival with stalls, food, music and fun for the entire family. The event was open for all. 

IVS held the Pakistan screenings of the films made by the five filmmakers selected for the British Council's Re-imagining Freedom project that was part of its PK-UK: New Perspectives initiative. 

The IVS Student Council hosted a grand Iftar for all students, faculty, and staff, including housekeeping, security and cafeteria staff members. 

The alumni returned to the campus that they once knew as their second home. They rekindled old friendships and reconnected with the mentors who set them on their creative paths at a time when pursuing the arts was still considered risky.

Special guests for the evening included Shahid Abdulla, Nighat Mir and Shahab Ghani. The event was attended by IVS alumni who are prominent architects like Noman Faruqi, Anwer Ali Quettawala, Ramiz Baig, and Ahmed Mian. Founder and CEO of Khaadi, Shamoon Sultan and Creative Head Saira Shamoon were also present alongside scores of Khaadi employees — all graduates from IVS. Actors Sarwat Gilani and Zehra Nawab, filmmakers Umer Adil and Babar Sheikh, Sadia Qutubuddin and Zehra Zaidi from the advertising world, and CEO of the IBL Group that includes Habitt, Munis Abdullah, were among those present. As Sarwat Gilani enthused, “It was absolutely amazing to meet everyone, see them doing so well and vibing as one community. This night was epic and we will remember it forever. Thank you Indus Valley School for giving us these wonderful memories so we can cherish the best days of our lives together”. 

Bilal Maqsood, a graduate of IVS"s first class (1994) performed his melodious hits for the crowd. 

It's on! We're hosting Basant Mela tomorrow. Join us with your family and friends for an evening of fun! No stags allowed.

Our 3rd Year Architecture students are constructing a flood response model house. The aim of this project is to design a low-cost house that is a suitable response in the face of disasters related to climate change, particularly torrential floods.

Bamboo, Brick block, concrete block, and Adobe/ mud were explored as building materials.

Students were asked to think about how houses can be made flood resistant, and whether it is possible to embrace the seasonal floods that occur every year and minimize damage.

The initial designing took place in the studio; the construction of the prototype is happening at the Sculpture Park.

Mehmooda has a bachelor degree in Architecture Design from the National College of Arts Lahore, and a joint M.sc in Regional Planning Development and Management from Technical University of Dortmund, Germany and University of Austral Chile. She has conducted research consulting for the Ministry of Urbanism on Morphological Urban Form in Chile. She has both researched and worked on projects related to socio-spatial community development, with a focus on housing, habitat and habitability in Pakistan, Nepal and Chile. She has participated in conferences that focus on inclusive, transformative and adaptive planning procedures. Mehmooda’s current research involves assessing the quality of life through a quali-quant approach, of migrant populations from various ethnic backgrounds in informal settlements of Karachi, which is part of the larger project Access to Justice & HRs for development and resilience of informal urban communities. She has been published in the academic journal Revista de Urbanismo.

Ira Kazi’s practice intersects between urbanism and landscape design. At the core of her work are values of participatory action for community development. Her research seeks to understand design issues and create methodologies for developing and maintaining green open breathable spaces in an otherwise concrete jungle. While working in New York for Dadras Architects, she worked on revitalizing various public spaces and streets. 

Durreshahwar Alvi currently pursues her interest in transdisciplinary knowledge and research to document, understand and bridge the gap between the biosphere and human development. Her area of focus within this is urban land management and development to work towards increasing the biodiversity of cities.  Durreshahwar’s work has been exhibited internationally as a member of the design team of the National Pavilion of Pakistan at the Biennale Architettura, La Biennale di Venezia, 2018.

Zohaib Zuby has an interdisciplinary background in philosophy and architecture. He later specialized in Wittgenstein Studies when completing his post-graduate study in Muslim Cultures, from the Aga Khan University, ISMC from London. He has pioneered philosophy for children (P4C) in Pakistan at The Learning Tree School and continues to teach philosophical programs at various institutions, including Islamic Reformism since 1857; Neoliberalism, Globalization, and Post-Coloniality. Zohaib’s research and practice currently centers around Affordable Housing, focusing on customized interventions to assist the low income, and has most recently completed Wallah’s House and Fauzia’s House in Karachi, Pakistan.

Arif is a practicing architect based in Karachi, Pakistan. After completing his studies, he worked for a number of years in the United States before returning to Pakistan in 1998. His practice, Arif Belgaumi Architects, brings nearly three decades of diverse architectural experience gained in the United States and Pakistan, to a practice grounded in the regional and cultural context of Pakistan. The firm has a diverse portfolio of works consisting of residential, commercial, educational and diplomatic buildings.

Arif has taught, off and on since 1999, as an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Architecture at IVS . He has also taught architectural theory at Karachi University. He has an enduring interest in architectural education and professional practice and has served on numerous professional panels, both locally as well as at international forums.

Arif has wide ranging interests which inform his work. He is active in promoting environmental issues and urban design. He has written and spoken on many occasions about the destruction of the natural environment and the need for green and sustainable development in urban areas. Arif has been a pioneer in the promotion of recreational cycling in Karachi and has helped in the recent revival of the sport. 

Arif's Resume

Mujahid's Resume

Mohammad Daniyal Tariq is an architect and computational designer. His work is deeply rooted in exploring the environmental crisis and speculating alternative narratives, often drawing inspiration from science fiction. His experience has inspired him to pursue a design dictated by evidence.

Daniyal’ work is driven by a desire to explore and promote design that is driven by evidence which has led him to integrate Artificial Intelligence and data science into the process. Working towards developing tools and techniques that could help design more sustainably. His other  interest lies in investigating  system design  and  architecture  for extreme environments.

Daniyal has worked with the Architects studio Tariq hussan   for the last 5 years working on mainly low cost housing, high rises and urban planning. 

Daniyal's Resume

Barera’s Resume

Mark your calendars for the IVS Film Festival, happening from 15th to 17th September!

Join us for empowering workshops, engaging panel discussions with industry professionals/pros, captivating film screenings, and recognising the rising talent with prestigious awards!🌟

Don't miss out - applications close on July 31st. Stay tuned for exciting updates and get ready to experience the journey of cinema like never before!

IVS Gallery is pleased to announce an exhibition titled ‘Of Claws and Crowns’ by Veera Rustomji, opening on Thursday, 7th of September from 5-8 PM.

Veera Rustomji holds a BFA from the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture (IVS) and an MA in Fine Art from Chelsea College of Arts at the University of the Arts London (UAL). Her practice takes references from stories and archives to create fictitious scenarios dealing with gender and geographical power structures.

Alongside her art practice, she has worked with the Maritime Archaeology and Heritage Institute (MAHI) and Vasl Artists’ Association in Karachi as well as the Royal Academy of Arts in London. She has been teaching with the Department of Fine Art at IVS since 2020.

The artwork on display explores both the subtleties and extremes of role-play. While taking reference from observational studies of crabs conducted by marine zoologists at the University of Karachi, the visuals draw connections with the representation of kings via coins excavated from the coastline of Sindh. The work is an entry point into the grey areas between the illusion of authority and the reality of nature.

The exhibition remains open until Monday, 18th September 2023, from 11 AM to 7 PM daily (excluding Sundays).

OUTSIDERS ARE REQUIRED TO PRESENT PHOTO ID AT THE GATE.