Munawar Ali Syed

Munawar Ali Syed is a multidisciplinary artist who hails from the city of Hyderabad, Pakistan. He now lives and works in Karachi where he also teaches as an Associate professor at the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture and a member of the visiting Faculty at the Department of Visual Studies, Karachi University. Munawar has done his Bachelor of Fine Art (BFA) major in sculpture from National College of Arts, Lahore in 1999. Later, he completed his Masters in Art Education from Beaconhouse National University, Lahore in 2017.
Munawar’s work has been shown in various major national and international platforms along with seven solo presentations and several group shows and his works was also included in notable publications. He has participated in several national and international artist residency programs such as Burragorang International Artists ‘Workshop, Australia in 2003, The Vasl International Artists Workshop, Pakistan in 2004, Braziers International Artist Workshop, UK and West burry Farm Residency, UK in 2005. Syed has been an active member of Vasl Artist Collective.
Munawar’s new ventures integrate artworks and the ideas of artist into a variety of public settings and sited in spaces accessible to the general public. He initiated a public art group in 2011 ‘Rung dey Karachi’ during the period of turbulence and violence in Karachi. Also, Syed has curated four shows and project- Reimagining walls of Karachi was well received by the local audience. One of his public art project- Great wall of truck art as coordinator has become a permanent part of the new Islamabad airport, Islamabad.
Munawar has also been awarded the SATHA innovation award in 2016 for his contribution to the public art. Munawar has received ADA National Award 2018/19 for categories of performance and sight specific work. Recently He got Viewer choice award of Sovereign Asian Art Prize 2019.