Misha Japanwala is a
visual artist and
fashion designer of
Pakistani origin
Pakistanis ( ur, , translit=Pākistānī Qaum, ) are the citizens and nationals of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. According to the 2017 Pakistani national census, the population of Pakistan stood at over 213 million people, making it the w ...
.
Japanwala created
art work dedicating to
women rights in Pakistan, and her art has been featured in ''
Vogue'' and ''
V Magazine''. In June 2021 Japanwala designed breast plates for American rapper
Lizzo's music video "
Rumors
A rumor (American English), or rumour (British English; see spelling differences; derived from Latin:rumorem - noise), is "a tall tale of explanations of events circulating from person to person and pertaining to an object, event, or issue in p ...
".
Personal life
Japanwala was born in London, but to a
Bohra Muslim family from
Karachi, and was brought up in
Islamabad in a liberal family background. She graduated from the New York
Parsons school of Design
Parsons School of Design, known colloquially as Parsons, is a private art and design college located in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City. Founded in 1896 after a group of progressive artists broke away from established Manhatt ...
in 2018
and works in
New York City.
After graduation, she worked as an accessory assistant at
Elle. She later joined the atelier of
Proenza Schouler where she was then laid off due to COVID-19. In 2022 she wedded with actor Fisher Neal.
Art collections
Misha Japanwala creates personalized sculpted
breastplates and photographs these on otherwise nude
female models. through fashionable wearable resin re-creations, and incidentally which does not constitute censorable nudity for social media platforms like Instagram.
According to Japanwala her signature art (May 2018) collection 'Azaadi' (meaning "
freedom
Freedom is understood as either having the ability to act or change without constraint or to possess the power and resources to fulfill one's purposes unhindered. Freedom is often associated with liberty and autonomy in the sense of "giving on ...
" in
Urdu) is in response to difficulties like
honor killings, domestic violence and the societal pressures faced by
women in Pakistan challenges the status quo by pushing the boundaries.
Japanwala maintains, her goal in her art collection 'Azaadi' was to subvert the
male gaze, reclaim the art related to the female body from the male perspectives and instead depict from the
feminist perspective.
According to Aamina Khan, Japanwala sported long dangling earrings with the words '
Meri Marzi" meaning
my choice.
Japanwala's work has been featured in a six-page editorial spread in ''
Vogue Spain'', modeled by French model
Cindy Bruna
Cindy Bruna (born 27 September 1994) is a French fashion model.
Early life
Bruna was born in Saint-Raphaël, Var, France on 27 September 1994 to an Italian father, Stefano Bruna, and a Congolese mother, Eléonore, from Brazzaville, Congo. She ha ...
.
Japanwala received her second offer of displaying her art from model
Gigi Hadid in special issue of ''
V Magazine named'' Gigi's Journal Part II.
Japanwala was selected on the "30 under 30 Asia" list published by ''
Forbes'' in 2021.
Backlash and response
According to Japanwala she has faced some backlash from conservative quarters of her home country Pakistan saying why does she indulge in designs do not confirm with
cultural restrictions for women despite being a
Muslim woman.
Japanwala says in Pakistan it is difficult for women to have agency over their own bodies and this backlash confirms Pakistani conservatives feel frightened by women taking charge of their bodies.
See also
*
Aurat March
The Aurat March ( ur, or , English: Women's March) is an annual socio-political demonstration in Pakistani cities such as Lahore, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Faisalabad, Multan, Quetta, Karachi, Islamabad and Peshawar to observe International Women ...
*
Feminism in Pakistan
Feminism in Pakistan refers to the set of movements which aim to define, establish, and defend the rights of women in Pakistan.This may involve the pursuit of equal political, economic, and social rights, alongside equal opportunity. These movemen ...
*
Louvre
*
The Compleat Sculptor
The Compleat Sculptor, Inc., is an American retailer of sculpture supplies. Established in New York City in 1995 as a comprehensive source of sculptural materials and tools, it is one of the largest sculptural materials suppliers in the world. It ...
References
External links
Interview in Tribune.com.pk August 21, 2016Misha Japanwala LookbookHerida grabada. Cicatrices invisibles que dejan huella en la piel de la mujer
{{DEFAULTSORT:Japanwala, Misha
Pakistani artists
Pakistani designers
Pakistani women sculptors
Dawoodi Bohras
Nudity and protest
Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people
Artists from London
Parsons School of Design alumni
Pakistani emigrants to the United States
21st-century women artists