Asma Shoaib (b. 1993) is a Lahore-based visual artist. She holds a BFA from the College of Art and Design, University of the Punjab, and a Master’s in Visual Arts from the National College of Arts, Lahore. Her practice focuses on the emotional suppression and invisible labor experienced by South Asian women, particularly within domestic life. Working in the medium of gouache on wasli through the tradition of miniature painting, Asma explores how women are silenced through everyday routines, social expectations, and emotional neglect. Her use of delicate patterns and embedded text reflects the tension between care and control, resilience and repression.

“My art practice explores the invisible labor and emotional resilience of South Asian women in domestic spaces. Using gouache on wasli in miniature painting, I highlight the weight of household responsibilities that women silently carry – work that is often unnoticed and unappreciated. I wrap domestic and violent objects along with patterns to show how tools of care and harm coexist in women’s lives. Text is also an essential part of my work; I inscribe common phrases often used in our daily lives to expose the layers of verbal and mental abuse that women face daily. My work invites viewers to confront the normalized silence around women’s suffering and to celebrate the strength and resilience that they possess.”