Artist Statement
My practice explores the relationship between the visible and the unseen through geometric abstraction, pattern, and symbolic form. Working primarily in gouache, ink, and mixed media on wood and paper, I draw from Islamic visual traditions, ajrak textiles, and architectural ornament to construct layered compositions where structure becomes a language for memory, spirituality, and perception.
Geometry functions not only as form, but as a system of orientation, guiding the viewer between material and metaphysical space. Through repetition and variation, I create visual frameworks that suggest movement, transition, and the presence of what lies beyond the visible surface.
Rooted in personal experience yet extending beyond it, my work engages themes of memory, longing, and transcendence, positioning cultural pattern as both a visual and conceptual bridge between worlds.
Biography
Shermeen Uqaili is a Pakistani-American artist based in Richardson, Texas. She received her MFA from Southern Methodist University (SMU), where her work developed through a focus on geometric abstraction, cultural pattern, and spiritual inquiry.
Working primarily in gouache, ink, and mixed media on wood and paper, her practice integrates traditional visual languages with contemporary form. Her work draws inspiration from ajrak textiles of Sindh, Islamic geometry, and architectural ornament, reinterpreted through a personal and conceptual lens.
Full CV available upon request
Selected Exhibitions
A selection of exhibitions and installations featuring recent work.
