Tazeen Qayyum

Tazeen Qayyum is a Pakistani-born Canadian conceptual artist working in a variety of media including miniature painting, drawing, sculpture, performance, and video. Her work explores issues of identity, immigration, socio-political conflict, and her Muslim identity.[1][2]

Tazeen Qayyum
Born1973 (age 49–50)
Karachi, Pakistan
Alma materNational College of Arts
OccupationConceptual artist
SpouseFaisal Anwar
An artwork by Qayyum displayed at Museum Siam for Bangkok Art Biennale 2022, featuring her iconic cokroaches

Biography

Born in Karachi, Pakistan, in 1973, Tazeen Qayyum studied miniature painting at the National College of Arts in Lahore, Pakistan, graduating in 1996 with a BFA.[3]

As a response to the 9/11 attacks, Qayyum began using the cockroach as a metaphor to connote the loss of life in the subsequent wars connected to the attacks,[2][4] as well as fear and misunderstanding of other cultures.[5] While the cockroach first appeared as part of her miniature painting practice, it would evolve into sculpture and installation work including A Holding Pattern, a multi-media piece that was installed at Toronto's Pearson International Airport in 2013.[6]

Qayyum's more recent circular text pieces are performative based and originate from her work with installations of the repeated forms of cockroaches. Recurring singular phrases written in the Urdu (the artist's mother tongue) are drawn from the centre of the paper or canvas, concentrically moving out. These performances have been as long as twenty-four hours in duration.[5] These drawing performances often result in joint pain.[7][8]

Along with her artistic practice, Qayyum has offered workshops in miniature painting.[2] She co-founded Offset Portfolio Centre in 1997, a gallery and resource centre for artists in Pakistan.[9]

Exhibitions

Solo exhibitions

Qayyum's work has been shown internationally in solo exhibitions including Miniature Paintings, Gallery Jutner, AIR Program, Vienna, Austria (2000), The Human Dichotomy, Aicon Contemporary (2008),[10] A Holding Pattern at Toronto's Pearson International Airport (2013),[6] (IN) Surge (NT) at the Canvas Gallery, Karachi (2015),[11] Tazeen Qayyum: Descent at Canvas Gallery, Karachi (2018),[5] and Sakoon at Zalucky Contemporary, Totonto (2022).[12]

Group exhibitions

Qayyum's work has been shown in numerous group exhibitions. These include: Elusive Realities: recent works by Tazeen Qayyum and Sumaira Tazeen, Chawkandi Gallery, Karachi, Pakistan (2008)[10] Art in Review: Farida Batool, Adeela Suleman and Tazeen Qayyum, Aicon Gallery (2009),[13] Veiled: Andrew McPhail, Grace Ndiritu, Tazeen Qayyum, Textile Museum, Toronto (2012),[14] and Beyond Measure: Domesticating Distance, The Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa, 2015[15] among others.

Performances

Qayyum's drawing based performances include Unvoiced held at the 1st Karachi Biennale, Pakistan in 2017,[16] and 'We do not know who we are where we go’, which was part of the Mixer Project at The Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto (2016).[17] She has also directed performance work including Double Date in 2007 produced by SAVAC (South Asian Visual Arts Collective) at Lennox Contemporary Gallery, Toronto and AKA Gallery, Saskatoon, and A Feast in Exile held in 2009 and produced by VASL Artist's Collective.[9]

Personal life

Qayyum is married to digital media artist Faisal Anwar and lives in Oakville, Ontario.[3]

Bibliography
  • Mitra, Srimoyee (2015). Border Cultures. Art Gallery of Windsor and Black Dog Publishing (Windsor, ON; London, UK). ISBN 978-1-910433-44-7
  • Siddiqui, Ambereen (2015). Beyond Measure: Domesticating Distance. The Robert McLaughlin Gallery, (Oshawa, ON). ISBN 978-1-926589-88-6
  • Akhter, Asim (2009). ‘Artificial Paradise,’ Discretion is Advised. Gandhara-art, (Karachi, Pakistan).
  • Sivanesan, Haema (2008). 'Stories for the Moment.' Urban Myths & Modern Fables. Doris McCarthy Gallery (Toronto, ON), SAVAC (Toronto, ON). ISBN 9780772754073
  • Hashmi, Salima and Dalmia, Yashodhara (2007). Memory, Metaphor, Mutations, Contemporary Art of India and Pakistan. Oxford University Press (New Delhi, India). ISBN 0195673476
  • Hashmi, Salima (2006). ‘Spinning Stories, The Art of Pakistani Women Miniaturists,' A Thousand and One Days: Pakistani Women Artists. Honolulu Academy Of Art (Honolulu, Hawaii). ISBN 978-0937426739
  • Malik, Murtaza (2003). Unveiling the Visible: Lives and Works of Women Artists of Pakistan. Actionaid (Pakistan). ISBN 978-9693513615

References
  1. Ahmad, Habiba (9 October 2013). "Interview :: Tazeen Qayyum on her latest art installation 'A Holding Pattern'". My Bindi. Archived from the original on 23 February 2021. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  2. Siddiqui, Ambereen (September 4, 2015). "Beyond Measure: Domesticating Distance". The Robert McLaughlin Gallery. Retrieved January 25, 2021 – via Issuu.
  3. Thompson, Tiffany (13 February 2013). "Artists in the GTA: Tazeen Qayyum's miniatures tell bigger political stories". YongeStreet. Archived from the original on 16 June 2021. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  4. Qizilbash, Talib (February 2010). "Interview: Tazeen Qayyum". Newsline. Archived from the original on 24 August 2020. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  5. Sandals, Leah (26 February 2018). "Into the Deep". Canadian Art. Archived from the original on 15 February 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  6. Kurd, Nadia (6 July 2020). "Profiles on Practice: Tazeen Qayyum". Femme Art Review. Archived from the original on 5 December 2022. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  7. "Why Tazeen Qayyum suffers joint pain for her art". CBC. 19 November 2015. Archived from the original on 8 July 2019. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  8. "Why Tazeen Qayyum is Willing to Suffer Joint Pain For Her Art". YouTube. CBC Arts. 8 September 2016. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  9. "Tazeen Qayyum artist profile". Saffron Art. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  10. "Tazeen Qayyum: artist biography". Aicon Contemporary. 2008. Archived from the original on 4 December 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  11. Mirza, Quddus (3 May 2015). "Fate of a cockroach". The News on Sunday. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  12. Fournier, Lauren (21 March 2022). "Tazeen Qayyum". Galleries West. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  13. Rosenberg, Karen (2 January 2009). "Art in Review: Farida Batool, Adeela Suleman and Tazeen Qayyum". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  14. "Veiled: Andrew McPhail, Grace Ndiritu, Tazeen Qayyum". Textile Museum of Canada. 2011. Archived from the original on 10 December 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  15. "Beyond Measure: Domesticating Distance". The Robert McLaughlin Gallery. 2015. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  16. "Tazeen Qayyum: Unvoiced". Karachi Biennale, 2017. Universes in Universe. 2017. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  17. Mignone, Christof (2016). "Mixer". Christof Mignone. Archived from the original on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
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