Rashid Rana (Pakistani, b. 1968) is a visual artist of high esteem in Pakistan. His work is included in many exhibitions throughout Pakistan and around the world. Rana's works include abstractions on canvas, installation art, photography, video performances, billboards, and collages. Rana graduated from the National College of Arts in Lahore, Pakistan, with a BFA in 1992. He continued his education at the Massachusetts College of Arts in Boston, MA, and received an MFA in 1994. He now serves as an associate professor at the School of Visual Arts and Design at Beaconhouse National University, Lahore. Much of Rana's work has a political edge and includes satire of pop culture.
One thing that sets Rana's work apart from his Pakistani contemporaries is that he made the move from his traditional training in painting and sculpture to embrace modern media devices such as video, film, and digital photography. Rana has developed a global presence as an artist with exhibitions of his work in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, and Dubai. He is represented by Lisson Gallery in London. Among his most renowned works are Veil I, Veil II, and Veil III. In this series, he used photographs representing the sexual objectification of women to create an anonymous woman dressed in a burqa. It's a somewhat startling, albeit effective, method of pointing out the great divide between Eastern and Western cultures and the stereotypes that perpetuate those differences.
The World is Not Enough is another famous work. In the piece, Rana created a beautiful sea image from photographs that were taken in landfills near Lahore. Rana's work has been displayed in various exhibitions around the world including The Politics of Fear in Albion, London, Reflected Looking, Nature Morte in New Delhi, and Perpetual Paradox at the Musèe Guimet in Paris. Rana has also recently participated in a panel discussion at Sotheby's in New York and held solo exhibitions of his work in Manchester and Hong Kong. His work has also been featured at a solo booth in Dubai.