Biography

Dr. Wardah Naeem bukhari (b. 1988, Pakistan) (she/her) is a visual artist, art educator, and independent curator with expertise in the textiles of Southern Punjab.

Bukhari’s work is to recreate the existing image through a new visual language that incorporates a variety of themes and materials ranging from history, culture, everyday life, healing crafts, tradition, anthropology, climate issues, and many more. Most of her art practice is based on a digital collage, videos, and sculptural installations. Her work is distinctive because she employed traditional threadcraft techniques.

Bukhari completed her Doctorate in Art History in 2021, from Punjab University, College of Art and Design, Lahore. Idara-Farogh-e Taleem bestows upon her the Gold Medal Award at Governor House in Lahore, making her the youngest Ph.D. recipient in Pakistan in the field of Fine Art. In 2013, she acquired her M.A. Honors in Visual Art from the National College of Arts, Lahore, and received her Bachelor of Graphic Design from Multan College of Arts, Bahauddin Zakariya University in 2010. Bukhari is the recipient of Top 10 Award- “Young at Art,” Alhamra’s 13th Annual Exhibition for Young Artists, Alhamra Art Gallery, The Lahore Arts Council (2017). She has traveled extensively and was invited for an artist talk at South Asian Women Collective, New York in 2016 and was selected for the International-Artist-In-Residence program in Arthub, Arizona, USA in the following year. She was invited to international conferences in Pendik, Istanbul in 2015. She is an Assistant Professor in the Graphic Design Department of Lahore College for Women’s University. She contributed two biographies in the Oxford Companion to Pakistani Art (2014) and wrote 12 articles in HEC-recognized “Y” category journals from 2019 to 2025 and 2 in the International Journals. Bukhari was invited as Guest Curator of the first studio BQ Artist-in-Residence program in (2015) and independent curator at Fakir Khana Museum, Lahore. She is member of International Council of Museums (ICOM) and has been selected for membership in emerging artist category in Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York, USA. Her work is part of the permanent collections at Ambiance Art Hotels, Pakistan, and has been    selected for the Imago Mundi Project’s Lines in the Sand: Contemporary Art from Pakistan collection in Italy.

Bukhari has done three solo shows in Lahore and participated in several group exhibitions. Theseexhibitions includes the Heritage Revived: Artistic Expressions from Punjab’s Golden Era at Fakir Khana Museum, Lahore (2025), Crafts Festival organized by The Management of Serena Hotels in collaboration with Nomad Art Gallery, Islamabad (2025), Cultural Heritage at Risk: Climate Change, Museum Sustainability and The Way Forward at Lahore Museum, The Silence and Sound at Ocean Art Gallery Karachi (2025), Dil se, online global art exhibition curated by FS Karachiwala (2025), Many Facets of Eve at Muse Art Gallery, Lahore (2025), For You, With Love at Artsoch Contemporary, Lahore (2025), Reimagined Contemporary Art and Ecology at Fakir Khana Museum, Lahore (2024), 1st Material Art biennale, organized by Tsinghua University, Beijing (2023), China-Pakistan Educational Cultural Exchange International Art Exhibition in Pakistan organized by Institute of Design and Visual Art in Collaboration with Hebei Academy of Fine Arts, China (2023), BE (COMING) The Museum, Project of Canadian Community Arts Initiative in collaboration with Beacon-house National University, Lahore Museum, and Think
Fest, Lahore (2023), Fasle-Gul Group Exhibition in Fine Arts Department at University of Home Economics, Lahore (2023), 12th Fiber Art biennale, organized by Tsinghua University, Beijing (2022), Rang-e- Miras group show at Sargodha University (2022), Alhamra 3rd National Exhibition of Visual Arts (2021), Pakistani Art Exhibition organized by Embassy of Pakistan at Baku, Azerbaijan (2021), 5th Asia Triennial entitled as Love thy Neighbor, Manchester (2021), Virtual show at Khamsa Art (2020), Quranic Calligraphy Exhibition on eve of Eid Milad-un-Nabi by Faisalabad Arts Council, Faisalabad (2020), 2nd Karnaphuli Folk Triennial; Popular & Traditional Art, Bangladesh (2019), Nakanojo Biennale, Japan (2019), Apni duniya aap paida kar organized by Management House, Johar Town, Lahore (2019), Miraz-e-Qalam National Calligraphy Exhibition organized by Gujranwala Arts Council, Gujranwala.(2019), Karachi Art Festival organized by Nigaah Art Magazine, Karachi (2018), Lahore Biennale, Pakistan (2018),
Lines in the Sand; Contemporary Art from Pakistan, Imago Mundi Project, Italy (2018), Solo Show Self-Obsessed at Taseer Art Gallery, Lahore (2018), Manzil; Traditional Crafts and Contemporary Adaptations at Koel Art Gallery, Karachi (2018), National Exhibition of Visual Arts at Alhamra Art Gallery, Lahore Arts Council (2018), Street Art Competition Exhibition organized by Master Paints & Artistan, Sargodha (2018), National Painting, Calligraphy & Digital Painting Exhibition organized by Sialkot Arts Club, Sialkot (2018), Karachi Biennale, Pakistan (2017), Arjumand Award Show at Gallery 6, Islamabad (2017),She is bestowed for the “Best Artist of 2017 award” by Alhamra Art Council, Lahore, Quranic Calligraphy Exhibition on eve of Eid Milad-un-Nabi by Faisalabad Arts Council, Faisalabad (2017), 4th National Calligraphy Exhibition by Ghazali Education Trust and Lahore Art Council, Lahore (2017), Unity in Variety at Gabriel Fine Arts, London (2016), Making Sense of the Senses at The Centre for book Arts,
Bronze Center, New York (2016), Post Contemporary Wave, Narrative Movement at Hoongly Bengal (2016), Quranic Calligraphy Exhibition on eve of Eid Milad-un-Nabi by Faisalabad Arts Council, Faisalabad (2016), Monotony of life at Full Circle gallery, Karachi (2016), Meraki at 39 K Gallery, Model Town, Lahore (2015), Non-Objective at Full Circle Art Gallery, Karachi (2015), Creative Script at Ejaz Art Gallery, Lahore (2015), 2nd Solo Metaphors at Hamail Art Gallery, Lahore.(2014), Pakistani Art in Yorkshire at Batley School of Art & Design- Kirkles College, Bradford (2014), Revelation at Ejaz Art Gallery, Lahore (2014), Master Pieces at Alhamra Arts Council, Lahore (2014), Darbar-e-fun at Alhamrah Arts Council, Lahore (2014), National Group Exhibition’ at Lahore School of Economics, Lahore (2012), Stop Violence against Women organized by Taangh Wasaib Organization (2012), Thesis Show at National College of Art, Lahore (2012), Thesis Show at Multan College of Arts, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan (2010), Art Exhi at Multan Arts Council, Multan (2009), South Punjab Expo at Multan Cricket Club Ground, Multan (2009), International Mango Festival at Shah-Jahan Hotel, Multan (2008), Art and Calligraphy Competition in Punjab (2000).