Hina Khan
Hina Khan was the inaugural recipient of the Create and Fire Station Artists’ Studios Residency for an Artist from an ethnic minority background. In this short video case study by John Beattie, Hina discusses her artistic practice, inspiration and driving force, and the impact this residency has had on her practice as a migrant artist living in Ireland.
Hina Khan, 2018 Residency recipient, in Fire Station Artists' Studios. Photo: John Beattie
Hina Khan’s work is the constant search for the best way to interpret ideas and express ideologies through symbolism. Having completed a BFA (Bachelor in Fine Arts) from F. G Degree College, she completed a MFA (Masters in Fine Arts) from FJWU (Fatima Jinnah Women University), Pakistan in 2003, with Miniature Painting as Major. Using a mixture of traditional and innovative techniques, Hina’s work portrays social issues, immigration and humanitarian crisis like prostitution, gender discrimination, restrictions, trauma, child abuse and killing.
Hina has participated in a number of exhibitions in recent years, including a current solo show in Ballina Arts Centre titled Visible n Invisible. Hina’s experience of living in a Direct Provision Centre has had a marked impact on her work. Hina finds that living in fixed boundaries makes it difficult to explore creativity and experimentation and has spent time researching the impact of such circumstances with fellow residents. This residency provided Hina space to work with freedom, enhancing her capabilities as an artist and was an opportunity to develop her collaborative arts practice further.