Shahzia Sikander defines what it means to be a Muslim woman

Shahzia Sikander is a Muslim. It is usually a social faux pas to describe someone by their religion. However, Sikander defines herself by this. She takes religious expression through art to a new level. As I said in class, religious art makes me uncomfortable. She is the exception. I found her blend of Hindu goddesses and Muslim veils inspired. To me, this says more than any history textbook or political pundit on the tensions in India and Pakistan.

The first few pieces the Art 21 video showed were scenes of homes, landscapes, and traditional Pakistani art. I wish that the video would have spent more time evaluating these pieces and breaking them down. Another work that was shown was an installation using translucent paper. I feel she is trying to symbolize a veil through this medium. While she doesn't spend as much time on this as she does her paintings, I think I prefer her installation. However, (just as she continues to focus on her culture after she moved to the US) she goes back to her roots (aka miniature paintings) after her installations. She also uses Arabic letters to form figures.

Society traditionally assumes that Islam culture shields the woman's body and thought. Her work is purely this.

This is a traditional hand painting.
Template for Stalemate, 2009
Gouache hand painting, gold leaf, and silk screened pigment on paper
64.75 x 76.5 inches
164.5 x 194.3 cm

This is an example of how she uses Arabic characters in her art.
Sinxay: Narrative as Dissolution #1, 2008
Ink and gouache on prepared paper
81.5 x 51.125 inches
207 x 129.9 cm

This piece has a lot of detail. I believe she used the tea method that was shown in the beginning of the Art 21 video. 
The Scroll, 1991-92
Watercolor and tea
Vegtable color, dry pigment, watercolor, ink and tea on Waslo paper
13.125 x 63.875 inches
33.3 x 162.2 cm