Bio

I was born in Brooklyn to a Pakistani immigrant family. However, my father’s medical residency moved us to Copperhill, Tennessee- an impoverished Appalachian mining town with a population of 362 people. It is also one of the few remaining active KKK hotspots. The absurdity & beauty of navigating the rural American South as a first generation Pakistani-American with class privilege, sparked my interest in identity and story-telling. My creative start was in portrait photography; it acted as a catalyzing force to meet people and ask them questions about their lives. When life as a queer Muslim felt lonely, I sought other queer Muslims who wanted to be photographed. When I felt alienated from my rural white peers, I used photography as an excuse to bridge the gap. This has allowed me to meet some truly incredible people.

These experiences with real people has also informed my conceptual fine art and design sensibilities. Exploring dynamics between people, and the connective tissue that melds our humanity is at the core of all my work.