We recently connected with Shabana Kauser and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Shabana , thanks for joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

My art is inspired by my life in the UK, as a first generation Pakistani immigrant and now as an immigrant in the US. I was born in the UK and lived there for over 25 years. In 2008, my husband was offered a work opportunity in Northwest Arkansas. We left the bright lights of London, our careers in the corporate world and made the move. Due to visa restrictions I was unable to legally work for several years in the US. It was a frustrating time where I felt capped, my transition to a new country and community was tough. I worked hard to keep my mind active. After various volunteer projects, I finally enrolled in art classes at the local community center. That’s how I found my passion for art. Once I was allowed to work, I created a collection of oil paintings and planned for my first art exhibition. That was in March 2017 and it was a success. We certainly filled the gallery that evening, with guests pouring out of the door! This initial show gave me hope and inspired me think how I could use my immigration experience, share my story and connect more with the community.

My newly found skill in painting, then got me thinking about my parents generation, their journey from Pakistan occupied Kashmir, to the UK. The use of traditional fabrics throughout my work, are inspired by my childhood, where I grew up around fabrics. My mother would sew traditional clothes for the South Asian community in London, she used the skills my grandmother taught her, to start her own business in a country where she faced cultural barriers. Today, traditional fabrics, namely the ‘Dupatta’ (South Asian scarf) are captured throughout my oil paintings. My work has been exhibited with numerous galleries and museums throughout the US.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I create detailed, realistic oil paintings that include portraits and still life work, where I capture traditional South Asian fabrics, jewelry and realistic skin tones and features. My art is sold in galleries, and various art venues throughout the US. My artwork has allowed me to connect with communities throughout the US, share my voice, experience and culture. I have met people from a variety of backgrounds that are seeking hope, inspiration and authentic representation of South Asian culture in the arts.

The immigration experience involves uncertainty, changes and adaptation. My work has a universal message of strength, courage, determination, uncertainty, belonging and acceptance. That resignates with people regardless of their gender or background. The community has really amazed me with their interest in my culture. America is a nation of immigrants, it important for people to connect with the raw immigrant experience and remember the journey of their family and ancestors.
One of my proudest moments was from last year, where I had a solo exhibition at Fort Smith Regional Art Museum in Arkansas. Just to see one of the galleries in the museum, dedicated to my work was incredible. To top that, the museum placed one of my portraits (titled ‘Bahin’ which means ‘sister’ in Urdu/Hindi language) on the outside of the building. The portrait is a South Asian female wearing an aqua color dupatta and jewelry. That was a proud moment, not just for me but everyone who has followed my work and journey, and the women I represent in my artwork.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Resilience in the art market is crucial, rejection has been a huge part of my journey. I don’t always enjoy reading rejection notices from galleries and artists funding opportunities. Overtime, I have learned that not every opportunity will fit my work. The more opportunities I apply, for the more I am building up a resilience. As a result I am now seeing acceptance notices!

Last year, I had almost lost hope on being awarded any artist funding opportunities. At that time all my applications were rejected. My glimmer of hope was that I knew artists friends that were successfully awarded. I tend to reach out to creatives that have achieved the results I am working towards and collect nuggets of wisdom that I can apply to my work. Last year, I decided I would apply for one last opportunity before I decided to invest my time elsewhere. The opportunity was a juried artist residency that provided funding. Like many opportunities, the judging panel only award a small number of artists. I gave the application my all, and submitted within the given deadline. Once submitted, I decided to put this to the back of my mind, and almost dismiss it, as I moved my focus to upcoming shows. Then one day, I got an email to say my application had been accepted! I successfully completed this very artist residency earlier this year. It was a new experience and a great opportunity for me. Just that one acceptance gave me hope to not give up on funding opportunities, and to give each application my all!

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Building a reputation in the arts has been ongoing and I still continue to learn, work towards that as I push my work further. A strong, consistent artist resume (or CV) was a must for me in order to make my name known in the arts. I started working on that from my very first show in 2017. Consistently exhibiting my work, producing new art, ongoing learning about the art market, and pushing myself the extra mile for each event, has helped me connect with art communities throughout the US. Dialog at gallery openings, press releases, or artists lectures have allowed my audience to learn more about my inspiration, background and why I create what I create. I have a long way to go, and I am proud of what I have achieved so far in the arts. It’s an exciting journey!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.shabanakauserart.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shabanakauserart/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shabanakauserart/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shabanakauserart/

Image Credits
Image 1 – Shabana Kauser with self portrait, oil painting titled “Dupatta #1′ Image 2 – Image of a collection of oil paintings in Shabana Kauser’s studio Image 3- Image of Shabana kauser standing outside Fort Smith Regional Art Museum in AR, where she had a solo show in 2022. An image of her painting ‘Bahin’ was placed on the outside of the museum. Image 4 – Oil Painting titled ‘Peela’ Image 5 – Oil Painting titled ‘Dupatta #5’ Image 6 – Oil Painting titled ‘Masi’ Image 7 – Oil Painting titled ‘Forgotten’ Image 8 – Oil Painting titled ‘Dupatta #7’