I grew up in Karachi, Pakistan with a population of over 15 million. In this urban metropolis, storytelling was iconography on public buses.

Zahra Ali, Artist

Zahra Ali

Painting to me is solving puzzles of my brain, I want to be able to portray the people, events, and colors that have inspired me.

Art has been around me all my life. As a seamstress, my mom had me tracing designs on clothes since I was 3 years old. Growing up in Pakistan, busses showcase ancestral origins with lines of poetry interwoven with ethnic iconography.

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As an adult, my formal art education began at Texas State University, San Marcos. I earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a specialty in painting.  Since then I have spent a decade working on commissioned artwork on walls, floors, and ceilings. This trade has allowed me to develop and share my skills as an artist, while also working on my own collection of dozens of acrylic and ink on canvas paintings.

Artist Statement

Painting to me is solving puzzles of my brain. It gives me a sense of power as I can attempt to control the world around me. This realization came to me at an early age. As such, my combination of cultural experiences manifest as layers and colors in my work.

I grew up in Karachi, Pakistan with a population of over 15 million. In this urban metropolis, storytelling was iconographed on public busses. Busses are more than a mode of transport for those inside; they are a joyous sight to passers-by that share a story. In a system where bus drivers own their busses, drivers would decorate the bus exteriors to showcase their ancestral origins with lines of poetry interwoven with ethnic iconography.

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After doing BFA in Painting from Texas State, my move to Houston and work in the field as an artist over the past decade has been a journey of self-discovery reflected in my work.

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I paint to express. I try to create pieces that show the world through my lense; my likes and dislikes. There are times where life is celebrated, and at times I show life’s dark side with a hint of color.

Professional Career