Publications
Books Research Papers & Articles
FIGURE: The Popular and the Political in Pakistan
Figure: the popular and the political in Pakistan, deconstructs the common belief that figurative representation is forbidden in Islam
& She Wandered...
A Monograph on Farida Batool’s Art Practices 1993 - 2019
Rethinking Art Schools
Writing about art schools at the time when the national budget for the year 2013-14 has just been announced
Publication on Art Practice
Wayfares of the Last Night
A two-person show by Masooma Syed and Farida Batool held at the Canvas Gallery questioned the position ofaesthetics in a rough and stressful world
The Role of the Artist in Times of Terror
The Role of the Artist in Times of Terror As terror and violence have become a growing reality of daily life across the globe.
Eight Pakistani Artists in the Heart of Italy
ARIA - Fondazione Industriale Adriatica a project conceived by Raffaella Cascella
In Conversation with Lavinia Filippi
An Italian Art, like the Indian Art, precedes and predates the political/national states of Italy and India.
The Nation and the Modern Myth
When one reflects on the concept of the modern mythology in itself, one must turn to the seminal text of Roland Barthes dealing with this issue.
Guerrilla Girls: Feminist Art, Then and Now
It seems like a hundred years ago that the question “Why have there been no great women artists?” was posed by Linda Nochlin
The Science of Taking a Walk
The Science of Taking a Walk: Navigating / Re-,navigating - Forming Trajectories' .
From Here to Beyond
The catalogue ‘Look at the City From Here’ is not just a publication connected to three exhibitions held at the Gandhara Art, but holds significance as an independent and important document to understand the contemporary art of Pakistan.
Farida Batool: Phool Mera Watan
My Homeland is a Flower
Lumieres – Expressing the Interplay of Light and Identity
The French embassy in Islamabad added the much needed buzz to the art scene after a hiatus caused due to the pandemic with ‘Lumieres’ -a group show
From LB01 to LB02
On the continuum of an engaged artistic ethos
18.08.2016
Farida Batool’s solo show, by the high wall and closed gates, opened in Karachi at Gandhara Art Space on the 18th of August, and will be on view till the 16th of September.
The Individual Artist: Carving-Out Oneself
A priori, if a man is really interested in himself...
Love Among The Ruins
Sarah Cheema reviews Artist Farida Batool’s Exhibition, Lahore Mon Amour which was exhibited in Lahore’s Rohtas Gallery
Talks & Interviews
Talk with Farida Batool & Zahra Khan
Farida Batool speaks about her art practice and research. Farida discusses her bold distinctive work, her love for Lahore and the public art projects and dialogue she has engaged in through the Awami Art Collective. Part 1 & 2
MM Talks with Farida Batool
At MM Talks, Farida talks about her growth as an artist and using public spaces to encourage conversation around undebated subjects.
LSE Pakistan Summit 2017: Farida Batool
At LSE Pakistan Summit 2017, Farida Batool talks about art in the public domain.
Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art
Research Paper Presentation at London, Asia, Art, Worlds: Thinking from Asia
All a Part: APT10 Professional Engagement Forum 2 – Communities
APT examine why communities and collaboration are intrinsic to art making in the Asia-Pacific.
In Conversation with ASAP ART
Twisting with the Image: Farida Batool on Experiencing Photographs
Part 1
Art and Modernity, Pakistan at 70 Panel Talk by LSE
Art and Modernity panel at Pakistan @ 70. Moderated by Dr Iftikhar Dadi. Speakers: Dr Ali Nobil Ahmad, Dr Farida Batool, Mr Ali Rez, Mr Fasi Zaka
LLF 2019
kahani ek shehar ki (LLF 2019) Exploring the political and personal in the art of Lahore-based artist Farida Batool
In Conversation with Farida Batool
Series 01. Session 03 A conversation with Farida Batool on her inspiring and evolutionary journey as an art educator and leader!
Think Fest Panel Talk
Contesting Body and Shifting Borders in the Arts in Pakistan. Panel Talk with Farida Batool, Qudus Mirza, Shaila Bhatti and Saher Sohail.
Projects Lead with Students
Throughout her academic career, Batool has taught at several institutions, including the University of New South Wales, Australia, Beaconhouse National University, and the National College of Arts, Lahore, where she currently serves as the Dean of the Faculty of Humanities. She has actively participated in various international conferences and workshops, delivering papers and presentations at institutions such as Yale University (USA), the Society for Cinema and Media Studies in Montreal (Canada), Oxford University (UK), Jawaharlal Nehru University (India), and Itau Cultural in São Paulo (Brazil), among others. Her work has been published in numerous academic platforms, and she is the author of Figure: The Popular and Political in Pakistan (2004), a study of figurative representation in Pakistani popular culture.
Exhibitions
2024
The Path of Metaphor, 4 persons show, curated by Asad Hayee, at LLF 24, Alhamra Art Gallery Lahore.
2024
Dil Na Umeed tou Nahi, a women show at Faiz Festival 2024, curated by Rohtas 2 at Lahore Alhamra
2023
Participated in an international printmaking workshop and exhibition titled:
Re-Use/Re-Work/Re-consider, a collaboration between Cowasjee Print Studio, Slaughterhaus Print Studio and Morley College on bringing awareness about climate change on 2nd November 2023.
2023
Wayfarers of the Last Night – Two Persons show, Canvas Gallery, Karachi 2023 ‘Water Water’ a collaborative video work for Ctrl+P is the result of an ongoing collaboration between a group of International artists who are part of the Womanifesto Collective.
2022
Body and Beyond: Women Movement of Pakistan, a research based curated
show for the Virtual Museum of Lahore Biennale Foundation, sponsored by
British Council.
2022
Lahore ki eik Dastaan, research based site specific installations and community engagement public art project at Diyal Singh Mansion, Mall
Road, curated by Tanvir Hassan, produced by Lahore Biennale Foundation
and British Council, Lahore.
2021
Lumiere, a group show with three Pakistani and three French women artists,
curated by Zara Sajid and Stephane Borsa at Pakistan National Council, Islamabad.
2020
Shehr e Tilism e Hoshruba, two person show at Canvas Gallery, Karachi.
2017
Oos roz ki adhoori Kahani, Solo Show at Rohtas 2, Lahore, Pakistan
2016
Look at the City from Here: By the High Walls and Closed Gates, Solo Show at Gandhara Art-Space, curated by Hajra Karrar, Karachi, Pakistan
2014-2015
Signature prize exhibition at Singapore Art Museum, Singapore.
2012
Kahani eik shehr ki Solo Show at Rohtas II, Lahore, Pakistan
2010 Where three dreams cross: 150 years of photography at Whitechapel Gallery, London, UK
2009
Love in the time of Cholera Solo show at Canvas gallery, Karachi.
2009
Wound: Group show at Aicon Gallery, London, UK
2009
Maa Tujhe Salaam: Solo exhibition at Aicon Gallery NY.
2008
Lahore My Love Solo exhibition of lenticular prints at Rohtas 2, Lahore, Pakistan.
2006
The Blink, Solo exhibition of lenticular prints at Rohtas 2, Lahore, Pakistan.
2006
No Man’s Land, A web based international exhibition, concerning the
political divides and conflict present in everyday life, will be uploaded at the
end of May.
2005
Circanvalcao, a communitarian art project in Portugal, in which I designed
and constructed a permanent sight specific artwork during the residency period of one month.
2005
Beyond Borders: Art from Pakistan, National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Mumbai, India
2004
Skin, Two persons show at Rohtas 2, Lahore, Pakistan.
2004
INTERSTATION, Artists Beyond Boundaries, a mixed media video installation at Kudos Gallery, Sydney. Eleven artists from nine
countries participated.
2003-4
Memories, an ongoing art project for Argentinian artists from Tucuman City.
2003
Participated in Cairo Biennale.
1989- 2000
Exhibited in many group shows in Lahore and Islamabad.
1995-97
Participation in national exhibitions at Islamabad and Lahore.
1997
Scope ’97 , a faculty art exhibition at National Art College.
1997
Co-curated a drawing show at National College of Arts, Lahore, Pakistan
1996
Designed and executed four murals (12 x 8ft) for Imam Bargah (devotional place for Shiites)
1996
Participated in an installation show at National College of Arts, Lahore, Pakistan.
1995
Curated and participated in women artists of Pakistan , Womenscape II, Alhamra Art Gallery, Lahore, Pakistan.
1994
Co-organized and participated in an exhibition of women artists of Pakistan,
Womenscape, Alhamra Art Gallery, sponsored by ASR resource center.
1993
Designed and painted a mural (39 x 9ft) in ceramic tiles and glazes with sculptural forms attached on it. It is permanently installed at National College
of Arts, Lahore, as part of degree show.
Awards
2009
Finalist for The Asian Sovereign Art Prize, The Sovereign Art Foundation, Hong Kong.
2000 – 2002
Senior Asian Artist: Recipient of Senior Asian Artist Scholarship, COFA, UNSW, that covers the entire tuition fees of the MA study.
1993
Jang Talent Award: Been selected for Talent Award by leading Urdu Newspaper, Lahore, Pakistan.
1990-93
National College of Arts Merit Scholarship: I have been the recipient of Merit scholarship at NCA during the entire course of undergraduate study.
Films
2006
Mardangi Tere Kai Roop, BBC Urdu
2003
Belief and Reality: A short film on Moharram’s mourning celebration of Mochi Gate. This film aims to look at the subtle cultural phenomenon
originating within scared emotional economy. (10 min.)
2001
Against My Will: Researched, interviewed and translated a documentary film on runaway women in Pakistan, made by Amnesty International Nederland.
(50 min.)
1999
Art Teaching for Primary Children: As Assistant Director and researcher worked with Salima Hashmi, the director for an educational film for PTV, an Ilm Film Production, Karachi, Pakistan. (50 min.)
1999
Giddha: A documentary about women’s traditional dance form, Giddha. (20 min.)