SLIDER 3
SLIDER 2
Email: uz@gmail.com
Origin: Lahore
Genre: N/A
Date of Birth: 1995-06-09
Category: Painter
In anticipation of her live painting session with Singulart at the Affordable Art Fair Battersea, we took five minutes with Pakistani artist Uzma Sultan to discover her multicultural influences and artistic practice. After growing up in Karachi, Pakistan, Sultan moved to London to study art and has since lived between London and Berlin, always returning to her home country to visit. Sultan has painted in multiple corners of the world, sourcing materials and inspiration throughout her travels. Her paintings consist of detailed interiors and everyday life through bright color palettes and great attention to patterns. Discover the world of Uzma Sultan, her journey through different cultures and artistic mediums, and the painter she would have loved to meet.
Hello Uzma! What inspired you to pursue a career in art?
I had thought of studying architecture but found myself more on the art side of things. The switch to art was an easy one for me, but hard to justify to others.
You were born in Pakistan and have since lived between Berlin and London: how have these 3 cities impacted your work?
I arrived in London as a student for higher education, so all my art schooling has been in London, apart from a semester back in Pakistan. It can be exhausting to travel back and forth across continents, but it is never boring! I have to go to Karachi every year to see my parents so I find inspiration there too. I leave work in all these places and bring them over wherever and whenever I need them. I have been going to Berlin since 2013 and have done a few residencies there. This is why I have unfinished work in my studio as I may leave to travel and only get back to finishing it months later. Travel is integral to my work. Often I find it difficult to paint in London because of the stress of the city!
You like to experiment with different mediums, can you tell us a bit about that?
I love to use different materials, ranging from perspex, aluminium, and vinyl, to more traditional canvas and linen. The surfaces have a tactile quality and I find that paint behaves differently on all of them. My most favorite support is aluminium. Also, we live in a world now sadly where things are all plastic, so why not make that into art too? I use patterned vinyl which I buy from the market in Karachi, Pakistan. It is also called PVC or oil cloth. The patterns you find there are wonderfully surprising and unique.
Uzma Sultan Balloon Man, 2017. 90x100cm, oil on canvas.
Do you see painting as more of a question of subject or material?
A painting is more about the paint, color, process, and the joy that comes from the act of painting itself. Material is the vehicle of this creative process. Of course, the subject is equally important too, otherwise you would paint a vase of flowers in the most boring way!
