Bio
Tahira Noreen is a visual artist based in Islamabad, Pakistan. Trained in painting and miniature painting at the National College of Arts, Lahore, her practice moves across drawing, incision and assemblage to explore movement, repetition and perception. Built through repeated, irreversible cuts, her works shift with changing light and gradually move between drawing, relief and abstraction.
Her work has been exhibited internationally at MK Gallery, Milton Keynes; Royal Over-Seas League, London; &Gallery, Edinburgh; and Alserkal Avenue, Dubai among others. She was shortlisted for the Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize and the TAF Emerging Artist Award, and is the recipient of the ADA Award and the Curator’s Award for We Are All Here. Noreen has undertaken residencies in China and Pakistan and has been selected for the Royal Society of Sculptors’ 2026 residency at Dora House, London.
CV
Selected exhibitions:
2026 She Who Creates, O Art Space, Lahore
2026 Sayyal, Canvas Gallery, Karachi
2025 Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize exhibtion, Williamson Art Gallery and Museum, Birkenhead
2025 NCA Triennale, National College of Arts, Lahore
2025 Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize exhibition, Trinity Buoy Wharf, London
2025 Affordable Luxury, Sanat Initiative, Karachi
2025 On Paper, Greatorex Street, London
2025 Space Shifting, Royal Overseas League, London
2025 Summer Show, Royal Society of Sculptors, Burgh House, London
2025 40 Dimensions, & Gallery, Edinburgh
2024 Edifice, O Art Space, Lahore
2024 Forms in Flow, Sanat Gallery, Karachi
2024 MK Calling 2024, MK Gallery, Milton Keynes
2024 Patterns, Canvas Gallery, Karachi
2024 Earth, Wind, Sky, Khaas Gallery, Islamabad
2024 Beyond Material, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai
2024 IAPEX Art, Pak China trade Center Expo, Islamabad.
2023 Coincide, ArtChowk Gallery,, Karachi
2022 Dastaangoi Residency show, Dastaangoi Gallery, Islamabad
2022 Through the Phases, O Art Space, Lahore
2022 Reprise Canvas Gallery, Karachi
2022 Paper Chase, Khaas Gallery, Islamabad
2022 An Ode to the City, Muse Gallery, Lahore
2021 The Point of Departure, Indus Valley School Gallery, Karachi
2021 Musings, O Art Space, Lahore,
2020 You are Here, an exhibition on maps and mapping in living artist’s work curated by Kate Trafeli/ James Stewart.
2019 Finalists Exhibition, CAGE Gallery, Barcelona
2019 1 x 1, Full Circle Gallery, Karachi
2019 1 x 1, Aqs Gallery/museum, Islamabad
2019 Dot. Line. Shape, Full Circle Gallery, Karachi
2018 The Art of Creation, Patchogue Art Center, New York
2018 Focus on Pakistan, Art rooms Fair, London
2014 Fresh, Amin Gulgee Gallery, Karachi
2013 Dualities, Rohtas Gallery, Lahore
2013 Two person Show, VM Art Gallery, Karachi
2012 Open Studios, Creatives in Residence, Sunhoo Design Park, Hangzhou, Zhejiang.
Awards:
2025 Finalist, Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize, London
2024 Finalist, The Arts Family London, Emerging Art Prize London
2023 Winner ADA Awards 2022-2023, Architecture Design Art, Karachi
2020 Winner, Curator’s Award “You Are Here” curated by Kate Rafeli
2019 Finalist, Big Awards Barcelona, Cage/ Contemporary Art Gallery, Barcelona
Residencies:
2026 Royal Society of Sculptors Residency, Dora House, London, UK (upcoming)
2022 Dastaangoi Residency, Dastaangoi Gallery, Islamabad, Pakistan
2012 Creatives in Residence, Sunhoo Design Park, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
Selected press:
2024 Quddus Mirza, “Paper Possibilities” The News Sunday.
2024 Peerzada Salman, “Patterns Galore” in Dawn.
2024 Amna Nazir, 'Geometry, Incision, colour' in Dawn.
2024 The Arts Family London 'Finalist Artist Profile'
2024 Zunaira Quraishi, “Contemporary Art Exhibit” The Express Tribune.
2024 '‘Spero'' The Nation.
2022 Peerzada Salman, “Memory On Loop” Dawn.
2022 Farman Ali ‘‘Dastaangoi Residency Show'‘ Dawn.
2021 Marvi Malik '‘The Point of Departure'‘.
2021 Aasim Akhtar, “The Pleasure in Boredom” The News.
2020 Katmapped “You are here” review.
2018 Patchague Arts Council “The Art of Creation”
2013 Hifza Jillani 'Tale of the Two Cities'
2013 Sarwat Ali 'Celebrating Chaos' Dawn.
Education:
2004-2008: Bachelors in Fine Arts, National College of Arts, Lahore, Pakistan
Experience:
2019-2022: Visiting Lecturer, National University of Science and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan.
2009-2018: Lecturer, Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan