Biography
Sana Obaid, born in Pakistan, completed her BFA Honors in Miniature Painting at the National College of Arts, Lahore, in 2007. In 2013, she was awarded the UNESCO Madanjeet Singh Scholarship to pursue a Master’s in Art & Design Studies at the Mariam Dawood School of Visual Arts, Beaconhouse National University, Lahore. In 2022, she was honored with Scotland’s Saltire Scholarship from The Glasgow School of Art, where she graduated with distinction in the MFA program.
Sana's training in miniature painting has deeply influenced her artistic path, leading her toward a contemplative and spiritual approach. The meticulous, repetitive technique sparked her interest in spiritual philosophies, particularly Sufism, shaped by her family's lineage of saints in India. Through her practice, she explores the meditative aspects of art-making, believing in its transformative power to access higher consciousness. For Sana, creating art is a form of prayer—a source of healing, wholeness, and a way to cultivate divine energies within and around us.
In 2022, Sana was selected for the East-West Fellowship and was offered a position as a graduate assistant to teach BFA students at the University of Hawaii. However, she opted to pursue her studies at The Glasgow School of Art. In 2023, she received the prestigious Gilbert Bayes Sculptors Award and was shortlisted for the British Council Fellowship and Bloomberg New Contemporaries 2023. Sana’s work has been exhibited widely, both nationally and internationally. She has held three solo exhibitions: at Open Source Gallery in New York (2017), Rohtas Gallery in Pakistan (2013), and Chawkandi Gallery in Pakistan (2011). Her recent work has been selected for prominent exhibitions in the UK, including the VAS Centenary Exhibition at Dalkeith Palace, Edinburgh, the Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair in London (2024), the RWA Annual Exhibition in Bristol (2024), and the 198th RSA Annual Exhibition in Edinburgh (2024). Recently, she has been selected for Visual Art Scotland- Sweeney Bothy Residency and shortlisted for Cove Park’s Smith Artist Residency in the UK.
Sana is currently part of the Micro Residency: Artist 2 Artist, hosted by Tara M. Dakini in West Kilbride. The residency centers on nurturing feminine spirituality and rekindling the ancient connection between women and the natural world. Through this shared exploration, the artists aim to harmonize with the energies of Mother Earth, revitalizing the spirit of nature and fostering a deeper understanding of our interconnectedness with the environment.