Email: riffatstudio@hotmail.com Email: vmart.gallery@gmail.com Website: www.vmartgallery.org Riffat Alvi Visual/Installation Artist Birth: 1948 Current designation 1987 to date: Art Director & Curator VM Art Gallery a project of the ZVMG Rangoonwala Trust, Karachi Pakistan. Professional Training 1973 Graduation in Fine Arts, Karachi School of Art (KSA) - Karachi, Pakistan Selected Solo Exhibitions 2009 Siyah - Safaid ( Black - White) - Canvas Gallery - Karachi, Pakistan 2006 Artists voices body Amin Guljee Gallery - Karachi, Pakistan 2006 Artists voices body Calligraphy - Amin Guljee Gallery - Karachi, Pakistan 2005 Search Within (Mixed Media Paintings & Sculptures) - Canvas Gallery, Karachi, Pakistan. 2003 Fire & Earth (Natural Earth Media) - Zeniani Gallery, Karachi. 1998 Cradle of Love Series (Natural Earth Media) - Nomad Gallery, at the Institute of Craft and Cultural Activities - Islamabad, Pakistan 1997 Silent Witness (Natural Earth Media) - Clifton Art Gallery, Karachi 1996 Dust to Dust II (Natural Earth Media) - Lawrence Bartley Gallery, Britton Hall, Wakefield, UK 1995 Dust to Dust (Natural Earth Media) - VM Art Gallery, Karachi. 1993 Lost Civilization (Natural Earth Media) - Commonwealth, Institute, UK. 1992 Lost Civilization (Natural Earth Media) - VM Art Gallery, Karachi. 1991 Forgotten Cities (Watercolor) - Interior Gallery, Islamabad. 1991 Forgotten Cities (Watercolor) - National Art Gallery, Harare, Zimbabwe. 1990 Moen -jo- Daro (acrylic) Zeilitzheim - Germany. 1989 Dua (prayer) Series (Graphite) - Chawkandi Art, Karachi 1989 14 painters of Pakistan Indus Gallery, Karachi, Pakistan 1986 Silent City II (Oil) - PACC Gallery, Karachi. 1985 Silent City I (Oil) - Germany II, Karachi. Selected Group Exhibitions International 2008 Art for Freedom - Tehelka London, UK 2007 Moving Ahead - National Exhibition - Islamabad.
2003 Flags of Peace, Travelling Exhibition - South East Asa. 2000 Common Ground World Project, Inauguration Ceremony UN Head Quarters, New York, USA (Participated as an Ambassador Asia Continent) (Catalogued) 2000 Ceramic Exhibition - National State Gallery Izmir, Turkey (Catalogued) 2000 Another Vision, Pakistani Painters, Travelling Exhibition - London/ Huddersfield / Glasgow/ Bathe, UK (Catalogued) 2000 International Women Art - Art Mill Gallery, Leeds, UK 2000 Chung Ching Gallery - St. Johns University, New York, USA (Catalogued) 2000 Pakistani Painters Paris - Sponsored by National Art Council, Islamabad. 1999 Ceramic Millennium 99 - Amsterdam, Netherlands. 98 & 99 3 rd & 4 th International Visual Art Exhibition & Seminar - IPOH Town Hall Gallery, Malaysia (Catalogued) 1997 12 th International Watercolor Exhibition - Tottori Gallery, Osaka, Japan (Catalogued) 1997 Asia Women Artists Exhibition & Workshop - Naira wan Art Gallery, Tehran, Iran (Catalogued) 1996 11 th Asia International Watercolor Exhibition, Petronas Gallery - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (Catalogued) 1996 Sidharata Gallery - Katmandu, Nepal 1996 SAARC Country show - New Delhi, India 1996 Art from Pakistan, Birmingham - UK 1991 Asian Artists, Sheraton Gallery - Hong Kong (Catalogued) 1991 6 th Asian International Watercolor Exhibition - Nagoya City, Japan 1989 Permanent Collection show -Non Aligned Gallery, Zimbabwe. 1988 Asian Art Biennial - Dhaka, Bangladesh (Catalogued) 1988 Prefectural Museum of Art - Ishikawa, Japan (Catalogued) 1988 3 rd Asia International Watercolor Exhibition - Osaka, Japan (Catalogued) 1986 Women Artists of Pakistan - East West Centre, Hawaii, USA (Catalogued) 1980 American Centre - Karachi, Pakistan 1980 Asian Painters Exhibition of Paintings -Fukouka, Japan (Catalogued) 1980 International Contemporary Paintings - Bangladesh (Catalogued) Group Shows - Pakistan 2009 Sentiments - - inaugural exhibition participated and curated - KSA Gallery - Karachi 2008 Lets Draw the Line - Group Chawkandi Art - Karachi 2008 Group Show Canvas Gallery Karachi 2007 Moving Ahead National Exhibition National Art Gallery Islamabad 2006 Asna Clay Triennial Arts Counsel -Karachi 1994 Down the Memory Lane (Two person show with Mehr Afroz) - Goethe Institut Pakistan, Karachi 1996 National Exhibition - Pakistan National Council of Arts - Islamabad 1989 Women Painters of Pakistan - Pakistan National Council of Arts - Islamabad 1974 Women Painters Show - Pakistan National Council of Arts - Islamabad 73-05 50 Group Shows 8 National exhibition.
Biennials 2004 National Exhibition - Lahore, Pakistan 2003 1 st Ceramic Biennial International - Museum of Contemporary Art, Buenos Aries, Argentina 2002 2 nd Painting Biennial of Islamic World -Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art - Tehran, Iran (Catalogued) 2000 1 st Painting Biennial of the Islamic World -Tehran Museum of Modern Art - Tehran, Iran (Catalogued) 1987 Art Biennial - Lahore, Pakistan (Catalogued) Overseas Symposium, Residencies & Workshops 2000 Izmir International Ceramic Symposium - Dokuz Aylul University, Ceramic Department, Turkey 1998 IPHO Art Festival Malaysia - Art Foundation, Malaysia 1997 UNESCO Asian Artist Workshop/Residency - Iran. 1996 Artist Residency - Bretton Hall College, University of Leeds, UK Workshop attended/conducted 1999 Pottery/Ceramics (Paper Kiln) - Conducted by Lale Andic Karachi, National College of Arts, Lahore, Pakistan. 1997 Asia Women Art - Organized by UNESCO, Tehran, Iran 1995 Earth Pigment Workshop Conducted by Riffat Alvi - Weldschule Charallton-Berg, Berlin, Germany. 93 & 96 Earth Pigment Workshop, Conducted by Riffat Alvi -Bretton Hall College, University of Leeds, UK 1990 Sculpture Workshop - Conducted by Nagi Patel, Harare, Zimbabwe 84 86 UNO Project ITC/UNCTAD Visual Designer - UNO Project for the Development of Pakistani Handicrafts GATT, Geneva Assistant Designer, Worked with leading design advisors of UN Project Curatorial projects Several national and international exhibitions in Pakistan from Netherlands, France, Australia, China, Turkey, UK, Japan, USA, Poland, Italy, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Germany & Canada. Scholarship & Invitations 2000 Invitational Visit to Vizo - Institute of Ceramic - Brussels, Belgium (Slide Presentation) 1995 Cultural Scholarship, - Goethe Institute, Berlin, Germany 1995 Visiting artist by British Council - Commonwealth Institute, UK 1990 Pakistan German Forum - Exhibition of paintings & slide talk on crafts of Pakistan - Germany Distinctions 2005 Pride of Accomplishment Award - Karachi School of Art. 2000 Ambassador for Asia Continent in UNO by Common Ground World Project, - New York, USA 1988 Shield for Best Watercolor - Osaka, Japan. 1974 2 nd Prize, Exhibition 74 - USSR Consulate, Karachi.
Collections Zimbabwe UK Germany Iran Nepal Malaysia Pakistan National Art gallery - Harare & Pakistan Embassy Commonwealth Institute/ Bretton Hall College -University of Leeds Pakistan Embassy Pakistan German Forum - Zeilitzheim Chairman Secretariat Deutsche Bank Frankfurt Cotemporary Museum of Modern Art Tehran Himalaya Bank National Art Gallery IPOH National Art Gallery - Islamabad Deutsche Bank - Karachi & Islamabad Lufthansa Airlines, Karachi Pakistan International Airlines offices (PIA) Private Collections Pakistan, UK, USA, India, Germany, Canada, China, Japan, Nepal, UAE, Iran, Singapore, France, Sweden, Turkey, Zimbabwe and Kenya Temporary Collection Conference of the Birds medium terracotta Tale of the Tiles Exhibition -Mohatta Palace Museum Karachi, Pakistan 2006 - (Exhibition in progress) Haroof aur Kitab (Alphabets and Book) medium terracotta Tale of the Tiles Exhibition -Mohatta Palace Museum Karachi, Pakistan - 2006 - (Exhibition in progress) References Books Hashmi,Salima,Dalima,Yashodhara,Memory,Metaphor,Mutations;Contemporary Art of India & Pakistan -2006 Husain, Marjorie, Art Views: Encounter with Pakistani Artist - 2005, pg 98-102 Hashmi, Salima, Unveiling the visible, Women Painters of Pakistan - 2002, pg 80-82 Nisom, Marcela Dr. Contemporary Painters of Pakistan 1992 - pg 138-139 Mirza, Quddus (compiler). 50 years of Pakistan Painting - Published by PNCA, - 1997, pg 25 Naqvi, Akbar Dr. images and Identity of Pakistan Painters - 1998, pg688-692 Ali, Amjad S. Painters of Pakistan, 1995, pg243 Weib, Gunter W. Dr. New Kermic: Kunst Pakistan 1996 - pg 25-26 Selected Catalogues Ceramic Symposium, Izmir, Turkey, 2000, pg 5-6 First Islamic Painting Biennial, Tehran, Iran, 2000, pg 80 Around the world, Chung Ching Gallery, New York, USA, 2000, Pg 10-11 Another Vision, Burnai Gallery, London, UK, 2000, Pg 50 Art in the Islamic World, Tehran, Iran, 1993, Issue 24 (50)
Selected Reviews/Articles Rizvi, Nafisa, (2008), The Herald, Pakistan Hussain, Shehrbano, (2006) Riffat Alvi Nukta Art, Pakistan Butt, Asim, (2005), Search within, Canvas Gallery, Karachi Husain, Marjorie, (1998), Working with earth s palette. Bonjour PC Magazine, Karachi Sethna, Rajeste, (1998). Painting with mother earth. The Dawn Review, Karachi Farrukh, Niilofur, (1997, October 14). Earth matter. News line, Karachi Khanai, Ishwer D. (1996). Gems from Pakistan art gallery. Katmandu Times, Nepal Zaman, Hameed. (1995). Writing poems without words. The News, Karachi. Choonara, Samina. (1995). I am not a philosopher but a simple painter. Herald, Karachi Hewit, John. (1993). Lost civilizations. Telegraph Argus, UK Naqvi, Akbar Dr., (1993). Back to earth. Herald, Karachi.