Shahzia Sikander is known for her richly layered and intricately detailed paintings made from graphite, ink, and gouache on paper. She studied miniature painting in the late 1980s at the National College of Art in Lahore, Pakistan, and her approach has been heavily influenced by the forms and techniques of Indo-Persian miniatures. Sikander’s practice explores the concepts of “East” and “West,” and she uses traditional strategies of storytelling and themes of popular mythology to deconstruct the postcolonial legacy of the Indo-Persian region. In 2001, Sikander began to work in digital animation and create video works based on her drawings.