Zahrah Ehsan is a visual artist from Lahore, Pakistan and is currently doing her MA in Visual Cultures, Curating and Contemporary Arts from Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Finland. She received her BFA with Honours in 2012, with a concentration in painting from the National College of Arts, Pakistan. Her training at NCA has allowed her to expand the boundaries of her practice through experimentation in painting, installation photography and performance. She has furthered her practice by exhibiting in galleries across Pakistan and internationally like UAE, Germany, Austria and Finland, as well as participating in an international residency at the Vermont Studio Center, USA. Zahrah returned to her alma mater after graduation, where she designed and taught a number of studio and theory based courses including painting and drawing, fine art seminar.

Zahrah’s visual artistic practice has recently pivoted to encompass hair and make up artistry that has led her to be an aspiring hair and makeup artist. Currently Zahrah is deeply engaged in testing out ways to begin sharing strategies and knowledges about survival: student residence permits vs working permits; successes and challenges in the labour market; fostering networks and exchanges via alternate currencies; reflecting on feelings of loneliness and burnout; trying to set boundaries between art and life; and voicing approaches to making your work and practice visible (especially through social media) while navigating limitations and biases because of the language(s) you speak.