When was the last time a piece of art captivated you so fully that the rest of the world seemed to disappear? That happened to me recently with a stunning miniature painting by Hiba Schahbaz, a Pakistani artist based in Brooklyn.
In The Guard (2015–2025), a nude angel rises from the rose-colored walls of a building, surrounded by wispy clouds and graceful blue dragons, some breathing trails of gold. Around her, a solemn court of female guards—adorned with intricate headpieces and shields—stands watch, inviting viewers to lose themselves in the painting’s exquisite detail.
Hiba Schahbaz, The Guard, 2015–2025. Gouache, gold leaf, and watercolor on wasli. 49 x 42 inches.
Courtesy of the artist.
Growing up in Karachi, Schahbaz remembers hiding under her bedsheets, sketching small figures late into the night. Years later, at the National College of Arts in Lahore, she discovered Indo-Persian miniature painting—a traditional art form known for its fine detail and layered narratives—and her childhood hobby became her life’s work.
“The moment I started painting miniatures in school, everything fell into place,” Schahbaz says. “There’s so much preparation involved—we made our own paper, brushes, and paint, and spent weeks just practicing tiny lines. It was full of ritual, and it felt exactly right. I knew this was what I’d be doing for a long time.”
For over 15 years, Schahbaz has developed a practice centered on poetic miniatures that blend personal and mythological themes. More recently, she has expanded into larger works and installations, many of which are featured in “Hiba Schahbaz: The Garden” at the Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami. Curated by Jasmine Wahi, this is the artist’s first solo museum exhibition, showcasing more than 70 pieces that explore fantasy, heritage, and identity.
“At its heart, the exhibition revolves around the idea of a magical garden—a place of transformation, imagination, and renewal,” Wahi explains. Organized around the four elements—earth, air, fire, and water—the show reflects “both the natural world and the symbolic layers in Hiba’s work. Miami, with its rich horticultural traditions and tropical landscapes, felt like the perfect setting.”
Alongside detailed miniatures like The Guard, the exhibition features a series of large-scale works that highlight Schahbaz’s focus on self-portraiture. Mermaid Room (2025), an immersive installation with life-sized mermaid cutouts surrounded by birds, dragons, and flowers, transports viewers into a dreamlike realm. Rebirth (2025), a 270-degree panoramic painting created for the museum, shows the artist interacting with earth, air, fire, and water, bringing together the exhibition’s core themes.
Self-portraiture has always been central to Schahbaz’s work, a practice that began in her youth. “I spent a lot of time in my room because my parents didn’t want me going out much after school. There was a large mirror there, and that’s where I taught myself to draw. I was fascinated by the human form, but since nude models weren’t common in our country, I ended up drawing myself,” she recalls.
Hiba Schahbaz, Self Portrait as Grand Odalisque, 2016. Tea, watercolor, ink, and gouache on earth-stained paper. 60 x 83 inches.
Courtesy of the artist.
Moving from Pakistan to the United States in 2010 marked a turning point, allowing Schahbaz to move beyond the strict techniques of miniature painting and explore larger formats.
“Miniature painting is hard on the body,” the artist explains. “It strains your eyes and wrists. Watercolor demands such control—the way you hold the brush, the steady hand—it’s physically demanding.”The physical demand of moving my hands so steadily led me to space out my work over time, and my interests have also evolved and broadened.
Hiba Schahbaz’s “Untitled (pink landscape)” from 2016 uses watercolor and tea on handmade paper, measuring 88 by 108 inches, courtesy of the artist.
Her work remains rooted in miniature painting traditions, employing water-based pigments and tea. Schahbaz explains that tea, central to her culture and woven into every social interaction with its own ritual of preparation, felt immediately familiar. Painting with it became a ritual in itself—boiling, extracting color, and breathing in its scent, which reminds her of home. The unique hue of tea is irreplaceable; no brown pigment can match it, and it carries a distinct feel.
In “The Gathering” (2018), life-sized nude women, each a self-portrait resembling Eve, are depicted using this technique. Their skin, softly painted with black tea pigment, stands out against a bright crimson background as they look directly at the viewer. The piece measures 88 by 118 inches, courtesy of the artist.
Regardless of size or medium, Schahbaz’s art revolves around recurring symbols like lilies, jasmine flowers, and mythical beings such as dragons, mermaids, lions, and unicorns. Wahi notes that while not all were part of her visual language from the start, they have become consistent anchors in her work over time.
Schahbaz shares that these creatures draw from diverse sources, including art history, mythology, and Sufi poetry, and serve different roles. Dragons, for instance, feel protective, transforming the energy of female figures and their surroundings, while the lion symbolizes a form of love.
These figures emerge unpredictably, guided by the intuitive, almost spiritual process of her art-making. She believes in a collective consciousness that we all access, receiving similar inspirations, and the key is to remain open to them and decide which to act upon.
“Hiba Schahbaz: The Garden” will be on display from November 5 to March 16, 2026, at the Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami.
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of helpful and concise FAQs about Hiba Schahbazs first solo museum exhibition
General Beginner Questions
1 Who is Hiba Schahbaz
Hiba Schahbaz is a PakistaniAmerican artist known for her largescale figurative paintings primarily using watercolor on paper Her work often explores themes of the female body identity and personal mythology
2 What is the name of her first solo museum exhibition
The specific title would depend on the museum hosting it but the core theme is the exploration of fantasy and identity
3 What kind of art will be in the exhibition
You can expect to see her signature works intimate dreamlike watercolor portraits often featuring selfportraits and female figures in lush fantastical settings
4 Why is this exhibition a big deal
A solo museum exhibition is a major milestone in any artists career It signifies that a major institution recognizes her work as significant and worthy of a dedicated indepth presentation
Thematic Conceptual Questions
5 How does she explore fantasy in her work
She creates fantasy by blending realistic selfportraits with imaginative symbolic elements Her figures are often placed in serene otherworldly gardens or surrounded by magical flora and fauna creating a personal dreamscape
6 And how does she deal with identity
Schahbaz uses her own image as the primary subject placing a Pakistani womans bodya subject often viewed through a political or cultural lensinto a context of personal fantasy and quiet power reclaiming her own narrative
7 What is unique about her technique
She works with watercolor on a very large scale which is technically challenging This choice gives her figures a soft ethereal and translucent quality that enhances the dreamy intimate feeling of her work
8 Are there any art historical influences in her work
Yes her work is often compared to traditional Persian and Indian miniaturist painting because of the detailed patterns and flat decorative spaces However she subverts this tradition by working on a massive scale and focusing on the female gaze
Practical Visitor Questions
9 Is this exhibition suitable for children
The exhibition features nude selfportraits While they are painted