Mariam has been blessed with an artistic mindset and creative hands since childhood. She is a Lahore-based visual artist who earned her Bachelor’s in Fine Arts (BFA) from the National College of Arts, Lahore (2016–2019). In 2018, she was selected for a prestigious student exchange program at the Siena Art Institute in Italy and completed an engraving internship at Mint Pakistan the same year. The gene of art is in Mariam’s family. Her father, Arshad Mughal, is a well-renowned micro-engraving artist who got appreciation from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 2004. Mariam’s artistic journey is deeply rooted in her heritage. Primarily working in oil painting, her diverse portfolio reflects her passion for culture and identity. Her works have been featured in numerous exhibitions across Pakistan and internationally, including the Huntenkunst International Art Fair in the Netherlands in 2024. Mariam aspires to use art as a medium to educate, highlight, and celebrate the richness of her cultural roots.
Mariam’s artistic style is rooted in cultural aesthetics, drawing from personal observations, emotions, and experiences in a world that is both connected and divided. Through visual narratives, Mariam explores themes of touch, trust, and transformation, focusing on street-side professions tied to grooming, self-care, and beauty.
This journey begins with self-reflection, capturing the natural textures of human skin—goosebumps, wrinkles, and curves—each shaped by physical and emotional stimuli. A spectrum of genders is represented, alongside external influences that add complexity. Intricate shadows throughout the work symbolize the cycle of life, illustrating resilience, beauty, and cultural identity. Shaving, a central metaphor in Mariam’s work, represents empowerment through grooming and care, reinforcing human values and social bonds. It symbolizes renewal for men, resilience for women, transformation for transgender individuals, and the transition from innocence to maturity for children.
Through this exploration, Mariam highlights how aesthetics shape identity and how these everyday rituals reflect the broader human experience.
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