ARTIST'S CV
Saima Shamsi
EDUCATION
University of London, UCL 2004-2006
London, England
Master’s Degree Comparative Literature
Rutgers University, NJ 1998-2003 (Graduated in Top 15% of class)
New Brunswick, NJ
Bachelor of Arts English Literature and Art History G.P.A 3.68
Dean's List and National Dean’s List
Pratt Institute of Art & Design, NY 1999-2001
Brooklyn, NY
Visual Arts, Graphic Design, Film & Art History G.P.A 3.7
President's List and Dean's List
EXHIBITIONS
2023 My fine art drawings were exhibited at Art Basel's exhibition in Switzerland between June 15, 2023 and June 18, 2023. Art Basel is the world's leading fair in the international art market.
2023. Artwork was exhibited at Thomson Gallery Fine Art in Zug, Switzerland from July 1st to July 25 2023.
2023. Artwork was exhibited at Casa del Arte Palma in Spain from July 1st to July 31 2023.
2023. Artwork was exhibited at Nicoleta Gallery Berlin from July 1st to July 31 2023.
2018. Artwork was exhibited at Dejavu Art Gallery, NYC 223 E 60th Street New York, NY 10022 in Group Exhibition of the Artrepreneur: Explorations Competition. From May 3 2018 through 31 2018, Extended to August 2018.
2018. Saima Shamsi won First Prize in the Drawing/Illustration category of Artrepreneur: Explorations Competition 2018 based in New York, and had her artwork exhibited in NYC at Dejavu Gallery, formerly known as Bodley Art Gallery, which was once host to notable artists Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Paul Klee, Henri Matisse, Max Ernst and many others.
PUBLICATIONS
2017 My work “I, a Muslim Woman” was read on NPR (National Public Radio):
2017 Artwork and Literary Work Published in SUNY (The State University of New York’s) “The Healing Muse” Journal of Literary and Visual Arts, which is a Journal that was listed in The Pushcart Prize Literary Magazine Rankings
2017 My work “I, a Muslim Woman” was published in SUNY (The State University of New York's) "The Healing Muse" Journal of Literary and Visual Arts, a journal which was listed in The Pushcart Prize Literary Magazine Rankings.
2017 My short story “Ghul” was published on Medium:
https://medium.com/thrive-global/ghul-f0be10013dad
2017 My short story “Ghul” was published on Thrive Global, Arianna Huffington’s publication:
https://thriveglobal.com/stories/ghul/
2017 My short story “The Third Eye” was published on Medium:
https://medium.com/thrive-global/the-third-eye-7be94e1fcdef
2017 My short story “The Third Eye” was published on Thrive Global, Arianna Huffington’s publication:
https://thriveglobal.com/stories/the-third-eye/
2017 My short story “Behind the House that Floats in a Fog” was published on Medium:
https://medium.com/thrive-global/behind-the-house-that-floats-in-a-fog-8c8f7ef6fbff
2017 My short story “Behind the House that Floats in a Fog” was published on Thrive Global, Arianna Huffington’s publication:
https://thriveglobal.com/stories/behind-the-house-that-floats-in-a-fog/
2017 My short story “Scars” was published on Medium:
https://medium.com/thrive-global/scars-ab337a814e70
2017 My short story “Scars” was published on Thrive Global, Arianna Huffington’s publication:
https://thriveglobal.com/stories/scars/
2017 My short story “Flower” was published on Medium:
https://medium.com/thrive-global/flower-963ee4dabf6e
2017 My short story “Flower” was published on Thrive Global, Arianna Huffington’s publication:
https://thriveglobal.com/stories/flower/
2017 My work “Being a Muslim Woman” was published on Thrive Global, Arianna Huffington’s publication:
https://thriveglobal.com/stories/being-a-muslim-woman/
2017 My work “Being a Muslim Woman” was published on Medium:
https://medium.com/thrive-global/being-a-muslim-woman-179c54ea7b7c
2017 Saima Shamsi's literary work on Thrive Global:
https://thriveglobal.com/authors/saima-shamsi/
https://journal.thriveglobal.com/@saimashamsi
2017 My short story, “Scars” (previously titled “A Spot of Contention”), about a Pakistani-American woman who has overcome her bipolar disorder and her compulsion to cut herself, was published internationally in LAFZ, a British magazine in London, England and is now on Thrive Global.
AWARDS
2018. Won First Prize in Drawing/Illustration Category of Artrepreneur: Explorations Competition and Exhibition.
2003 Honorary Award Recognition in National Dean’s List – Only Half of 1% of the Nation’s University Students Receive this Distinction
2003 Recognized by Golden Key International Honour Society in Recognition of Outstanding Academic Achievement and Excellence – Membership into the Society is by Invitation Only to the Top 15% of Juniors and Seniors in All Fields of Study
2003 Selected by Outstanding Students Honor Society
2001 Selected for Entry into National Society of Illustrators Competition by Dean of Pratt Institute of Art and Design
1998 Induction into National Art Honor Society
1998 Art Shown by Monmouth Museum, Art Educator’s of New Jersey National Celebration of Youth Art Month for Distinguished Artists
1998 Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for “An Artistic Discovery,” a Congressional Art Competition Awarded by Christopher H. Smith, Member of Congress
1996 Selected for Governor’s School of Visual Arts with Top 1% of Students in New Jersey
LITERARY ACHIEVEMENTS
I am currently working on compiling the first two volumes of a book of drawings and poems, which I would like to have published.
I have written a collection of short stories called "The Djinn of Shalimar: Forbidden Tales of the Strange & Unusual.” Currently looking for a Literary Agent and Publisher to help me represent my work and publish my books, as well as an Artist Agent to help represent my visual artwork.
I’ve also written a collection of poems titled “The Disappearing Lake and Other Poems” that I would like to have published.
I write stories to help empower rebellious and unconventional South Asian girls, women, members of the South Asian LGBTQ community and other marginalized individuals, by exploring themes of identity, sexuality, girlhood and womanhood, alienation, coming-of-age stories, the body, body image and psychology. The stories are mostly comprised of female South Asian unconventional protagonists.
Artist Statement
My name is Saima Shamsi. I am a first-generation South Asian-American woman, visual artist, writer and poet. My purpose is to create images that emerge from the catalytic fusion of my hyphenated identities.
I use words in my literary work and images in my visual art to describe the tenacity, strength and conviction of nontraditional and nonconformist women who are marginalized, and who dare to fly in the face of cookie-cutter stereotypes.
Through my writing, artwork and poetry, I like to represent metaphorical and symbolic imagery and impressions of what it feels like to be a free-thinking South Asian-American woman.
I believe that creating art and writing about people who feel set apart and different catalyze the necessary discussion and dialogues that need to be in the world today.
Although some of my images may be strange to look at, I create them because I believe that beauty can be found in the strangest of places.
I write stories and poetry, and create visual art as a way to help empower rebellious and unconventional South Asian girls, women, young men and other marginalized individuals, by exploring themes of identity, sexuality, girlhood and womanhood, coming-of-age stories, the body, body image and psychological conditions.
I often use fantastical and surreal elements in my compositions. My work can be seen as representing girls, women, young men and all individuals fighting, overcoming and transcending the patriarchy, in strange and imaginative ways.
My art comes from a strong propensity for things that are outside the norm; the surreal, and unsettling.
I am inspired by outsiders, marginalized characters, people hiding under the table who you would otherwise not notice, and dislocated voices that ought to be heard, but are often dismissed, ignored, or recorded over.
I believe that unsettling images exist for a reason.
To make us question the limits and boundaries of our own world, and to re-imagine what could be possible, if we allow our minds to see things in a different way.
Creating is a constant in my life. The process for me is one of intense meditation on how I see and experience the world.
I create in a detailed way, so that it is meditative almost by necessity.
I manifest a world to disappear into, and in my literature and fine art, focus in on details that are otherwise overlooked and forgotten.
And then I reach an awareness of what it could be, or what it could be turned into.
Whatever I create is an extension of some part of myself.
Art is my experience of reeling something in from the ether and lassoing it into existence.
Awards & Publications
Saima Shamsi is a first-generation South Asian-American woman, writer and visual artist and has a Master’s Degree in Comparative Literature from University of London in England, and a BA in English Literature from Rutgers University.
Her artwork has been exhibited in NYC, and her written work has been read on NPR (National Public Radio). She has lived and studied in London and New York.
Saima writes stories to help empower rebellious and unconventional South Asian girls, women, members of the South Asian LGBTQ community and other marginalized individuals, by exploring themes of identity, sexuality, girlhood and womanhood, alienation, coming-of-age stories, the body, body image and psychology.
Eight of her written pieces have been published. Saima was invited to be a contributor to Arianna Huffington’s (of Huffington Post) new publication Thrive Global. Some of her short stories (“Flower,” “Scars,” “The Third Eye,” “Ghul” and “Behind the House that Floats in a Fog”), have been published in Huffington’s Thrive Global.
Saima's work has also been published in SUNY (The State University of New York's) "The Healing Muse” Journal of Literary and Visual Arts, which is a journal that was listed in The Pushcart Prize Literary Magazine Rankings.
Her literary work has also been published in Medium, founded by the co-founders of Twitter, CEO Ev Williams and Biz Stone.
Her short story “Scars” was published in the British literary magazine LAFZ based in London, England and is now on Thrive Global.
Saima won First Prize in the Drawing/Illustration category of Orangenius (now known as Artrepreneur): Explorations Competition 2018 based in New York, and had her artwork exhibited in NYC at Dejavu Gallery, formerly known as Bodley Art Gallery, which was once host to notable artists Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Paul Klee, Henri Matisse, Max Ernst and many others.
She has just finished writing a book - "The Djinn of Shalimar: Forbidden Tales of the Strange & Unusual" - a collection of short stories, which she would like to have published, and is currently looking for an agent or publisher to help represent her work and publish her books, as well as an Artist Agent to help represent her visual artwork.
Her book should be relevant and timely because most of the stories in it are comprised mainly of female South Asian and unconventional protagonists.
Saima can be reached at:
saimasfineart@gmail.com
© 2023, Saima Shamsi | All rights reserved.