Naazish Ata-Ullah is an artist, educator, writer, curator, human rights activist and an active member of the Women's Action Forum. In a career that spans four decades, Professor Ata-Ullah is best known as the founder of the Printmaking specialization at the National College of Arts. She is a graduate of Kinnaird College for Women and the National College of Arts. She undertook postgraduate studies at the Slade School of Fine ... More
Raza Ali Dada is one of Pakistan’s most well regarded architects and educators in the field. He is currently a managing partner at Nayyar Ali Dada & Associates. The firm has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Aga Khan Award for Architecture. Dada has 10 years of extensive experience with various building typologies in New York, USA. A supporter of eco-conscious practices, he has actively worked on sustainable ... More
Qudsia Rahim, the co-founder and executive director of the Lahore Biennale Foundation (LBF), has a background in both art and academia. She has established several initiatives, including the field elective program at the National College of Arts called Art For Humanity; the Research Cell at LBF, which conducts research on various forms of artistic expression within Pakistan and its diaspora; and the Afforestation Lahore Group, "a consortium of the government ... More
Ahmad Rafay Alam is an environmental lawyer and founding partner of Saleem, Alam & Co., a law firm specializing in the energy, water, natural resource and urban development sectors. Alam has served as Chairperson and board member of several public utilities and as a member of Climate and Environmental Councils. He believes in the right to mobility and the inviolability of the right to public spaces, and to this ... More
Mohsin Hamid is the author of four novels -- Moth Smoke, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia, and Exit West -- and a book of essays, Discontent and Its Civilizations. His writing has been translated into forty languages, featured on bestseller lists, and adapted for the cinema.
Tariq Zaman has a degree in Physics from Grinnell College and an MBA from LUMS. He is CEO of Ali Embroidery Mills, the largest producer of schiffli embroidery in Pakistan, and Director at Sefam pvt limited, the largest textile retail chain of stores in Pakistan. His entrepreneurial projects include Naimat Naturals, a food enterprise which implements responsible poultry and dairy farming practices, and Manzil Ventures, a ... More
Naima Dadabhoy is a multimedia artist whose art practice explores themes of impermanence and disintegration. She has worked in various media including installation, video, print-making, painting, drawing and sculpture and has exhibited widely in Pakistan and internationally.
Syed Babar Ali (born January 15, 1926, in Lahore, Pakistan) is a prominent businessman and philanthropist. He founded several key enterprises, including Packages Limited and Milkpak Limited (now Nestlé Pakistan), and established the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) in 1985. Educated at Aitchison College, Government College Lahore, and the University of Michigan, he briefly attended Harvard Business School. Ali served as Pakistan’s caretaker Finance Minister and was the International ... More
Nayyar Ali Zaidi was born in Delhi and migrated with his family to Pakistan in the 1950s. He received architectural training from the National College of Arts (NCA), Lahore. One of his teachers named him 'Dada' in recognition of his drawing and painting skills. His works have been recognised both at home and globally. He pioneered the cause of conservation in Pakistan and is a founding member of the Lahore ... More
Syeda Nighat Ali is a Pakistani social worker and activist dedicated to women’s rights and education. She serves as an Executive Director at Lahore Grammar School, contributing to the institution’s educational leadership. She has been involved in various initiatives aimed at empowering women and improving access to education in underprivileged communities.
Salima Hashmi is an artist, curator, and contemporary art historian. She served as the founding Dean of the Mariam Dawood School of Visual Art and Design at Beaconhouse National University, Lahore, and taught at the National College of Arts (NCA), Lahore, for 31 years, including four years as its Principal. A prolific writer, Hashmi authored Unveiling the Visible: Lives and Works of Women Artists of Pakistan (2002) and co-authored Memories, ... More
Dr Parvez Hassan (a Patron of the GNHRE) is Senior Partner at Hassan and Hassan (Advocates), Pakistan and a Senior Advocate in the Supreme Court of Pakistan. He holds a Doctor of Laws from Harvard University; a Master of Laws from Yale University; and a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts from Punjab University. Parvez has a wide range of international awards and honours, including inclusion on the Global ... More
Fawzia is an impact investment expert with 16 years of experience advancing social and economic justice. She advises foundations on integrating investment strategies into their missions. As Vice President of the Soros Economic Development Fund (2006–2016), she led investments in India, Mexico, and globally. She co-founded Pakistan’s Institute for Development and Economic Alternatives (IDEAS) and serves as an advisor. Previously, Fawzia worked with Women’s World Banking and Citibank, focusing on ... More
Osman Khalid Waheed is currently the Chief Executive Officer & Executive Director at Ferozsons Laboratories Ltd. Mr. Waheed is currently serving on the boards of a number of companies including IGI Insurance, Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Murree Brewery, Nestle Pakistan Limited, and has previously served on the boards of Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC), and as President of the Rawalpindi Chamber of ... More
Iftikhar Dadi is John H. Burris Professor and Chair of the Department of History of Art, Director of the South Asia Program, and board member of the Institute for Comparative Modernities at Cornell University. He researches modern and contemporary art from a transnational perspective, with an emphasis on methodology and intellectual history, and a focus on South and West Asia. Another research interest examines the film, media, and popular cultures ... More
Hoor Al-Qasimi, President and Director of the Sharjah Art Foundation, is a practicing artist with a BFA from the Slade School of Fine Art, London (2002), a Diploma in Painting from the Royal Academy of Arts (2005), and an MA in Curating Contemporary Art from the Royal College of Art, London (2008). She is Chair of the Advisory Board for the College of Art and Design, University of Sharjah, and ... More
Salah M. Hassan is the Distinguished Professor of Arts and Sciences in Africana Studies and Research Center, and Department of History of Art and Visual Studies, and Director of the Institute for Comparative Modernities (ICM), Cornell University. He is also the Founding Director, The Africa Institute, Sharjah, UAE. Hassan is an art historian, art critic and curator. He is the editor of Nka: Journal of Contemporary African Art and has ... More
Tanvir Hasan is Director Emeritus at Donald Insall Associates, where she previously served as Deputy Chairman and led the London studio for over a decade. As an accredited conservation architect with a strong foundation in academic research, she has spearheaded prestigious projects involving the restoration and transformation of landmark buildings, including The Parliamentary Estate and The Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew. Currently, she is working with the World Monuments Fund ... More
Imran Qureshi, recipient of Sitara-e-imtiaz, one of the highest Civil award from President of Pakistan, earned his BFA degree in 1993 at the National College of Arts in Lahore, with Distinction, where he started teaching shortly after. His work is firmly rooted in the tradition of miniature painting - the subject he still teaches at the National College of Arts, Lahore, Pakistan. He is currently Heading the department of miniature ... More
Ayesha Jatoi is a Pakistani artist. Trained in Miniature Painting and Photography at the National College of Arts, Lahore, she was a founding editor of Contemporary Art and Culture magazine. Jatoi's practice navigates the interplay between text and image, drawing inspiration from the spatial and aesthetic traditions of illuminated manuscripts. Her work often liberates text from its traditional visual counterparts, creating hybrid forms that engage with and critique the relevance ... More
Faaria Rehman Salahuddin is a C-level professional with a career spanning 28 years in banking and entrepreneurship at leading financial institutions like ANZ Grindlays, SCB, HBL, UBL and Bank Alfalah Ltd and more recently as the Director Placements at Suleman Dawood School of Business (SDSB) at Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS). Her expertise lie in delivering organizational turnarounds through synergies by strategic re-alignment of business lines. Faaria’s experience spans ... More
Razi Ahmed is the founding director of the annual, not-for-profit Lahore Literary Festival (LLF), the first such public initiative in Lahore, Pakistan. He has organised two successive editions of the festival since its debut in 2013. He has spoken at the Dhaka Hay Festival, and at the second Islamabad Literature Festival (ILF). His full-time responsibilities are at Associated Group where he serves as a director in its LPG business, and ... More
Aisha Zaman is an independent journalist, editor and creative consultant with over 15 years multi-disciplinary experience. Possessing a keen passion for seeking out unusual and intriguing places, particularly those off the beaten track and a love of telling people’s stories. For over a decade and half Aisha has traversed the globe to write on art, design, craftsmanship, architecture, food and travel for major British & Middle Eastern lifestyle publications. Her ... More
Shahbaz is a seasoned professional with extensive experience across multiple management roles, including Office Manager, Senior Office Manager, Finance Manager, Operations Manager, and Production Manager. He has a proven track record in overseeing operations, optimizing processes, and driving efficiency in various industries. Shahbaz also possesses expertise in solar installation and electrical work, showcasing his technical skills and commitment to sustainable energy solutions. His diverse skill set combines technical knowledge with ... More
Sheikh Omer Zaheer is a seasoned professional with extensive experience in operations and coordination within the arts sector. At the Lahore Biennale Foundation (LBF), he has played a pivotal role in managing operations for multiple biennales, including LB01, LB02, and LB03. His responsibilities have encompassed overseeing logistical aspects, coordinating with artists and stakeholders, and ensuring the seamless execution of events. Omer's dedication and expertise have been instrumental in advancing LBF's ... More
Zeerak Suhail is a writer, curator and visual designer. Holding a Bachelor’s degree in Cultural Studies from the National College of Arts, Lahore, with a distinction for the thesis "Ghosts of Pakistani Horror: Politics, Resistance and Disjointed Time In Pakistani Horror Cinema," Zeerak's research focuses on the ghostly, the in-between, and the silenced; "the making-queer of the world, and the making-world of the queer." In 2023, Zeerak co-founded Tasveer, a ... More
Sadia is a graduate of the National College of Arts (NCA) in Cultural Studies and has been working as a Research and Communication Assistant at the Lahore Biennale Foundation (LBF) since March 2024. She has exhibited her work in "Echoes of Lahore - Unrevealing the Cultural Tapestry of Mall Road
Dua Nousheen is a creative professional specializing in arts and cultural initiatives. With a passion for fostering meaningful dialogue through artistic expression, Dua has collaborated with prominent organizations and artists, including her recent role in supporting the Lahore Biennale Foundation’s programs. Her work emphasizes themes of environmental awareness, public engagement, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Dua is dedicated to exploring innovative approaches to contemporary art, making her a valuable contributor to the ... More
Farwa Tassaduq is a Pakistani entrepreneur and educator, renowned for co-founding One Earth Toys in 2018. This startup focuses on producing handmade wooden toys inspired by Reggio Emilia and Waldorf education philosophies, promoting play-based learning and environmental sustainability among children. In 2021, Farwa earned an MPhil in Education Leadership and Management from the Syed Ahsan Ali and Syed Maratib Ali School of Education at LUMS. Her academic journey enhanced her ... More
Waheed Latif is a Lahore-based sculptor whose work explores the intersection of space and time. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Sculpture from Hunerkada College of Visual and Performing Arts. In 2022, his work was featured in the "Sculptor/Sculpture" exhibition at the COMO Museum of Art in Lahore. Latif's art delves into the dynamic relationship between spatial dimensions and temporal progression, offering viewers a contemplative experience that challenges conventional perceptions.
M. Aurengzaib serves as the Administrative Assistant at the Lahore Biennale Foundation, where he plays a pivotal role in ensuring the smooth execution of the Foundation's operations. With a keen eye for detail and a proactive approach, Aurengzaib manages logistical coordination, office administration, and supports the team in delivering impactful arts and culture initiatives. His dedication to fostering collaboration and maintaining organizational efficiency makes him an integral part of the ... More