Misha JapanwalaBasking, 2025

About the artist

(b. 1995) is a Pakistani artist and fashion designer whose practice is rooted in a philosophy of radical shamelessness/بے غیرتی (beghairati)— that reclaims the body from cultures of shame, control and silence. Her work documents marginalized bodies as sites of resistance, healing and reclamation. By inviting muses into her studio, often through open calls, Japanwala molds people’s bodies in a way that celebrates the parts of ourselves that we are conditioned to be ashamed of. Every fold, pore and detail is preserved and carried into the final artworks. Situated between fashion and sculpture, these works insist on the radical act of being seen exactly as we are. Her calligraphic works take the form of bodily silhouettes intertwined with Urdu script, reclaiming words and ideas historically used as tools of shame and control. Together, these practices build an alternative record of the body—one that rejects objectification, and instead embraces honesty, care, and autonomy. Japanwala has exhibited in Pakistan and the United States. Her work is held in the permanent collection of the Tang Museum and in private collections worldwide. It has been featured in publications including The New York Times, Vogue, The Guardian, The Washington Post, and Document Journal. Her pieces have been commissioned for celebrities such as Cardi B, Lupita Nyong'o, Lil Nas X, and Joy Crookes. Japanwala was an honoree on the Forbes Under 30 list in 2021 and the Dazed 100 list in 2024. Raised in Karachi, Pakistan, Japanwala received a BFA in Fashion Design from the Parsons School of Design in 2018. She is currently based between Karachi and New Jersey, and is represented by Hannah Traore Gallery.

About the artist

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