Nina Ashraf is a Pakistani-American artist who migrated to the US 30 years ago. Her art is influenced both by the artistic heritage of her birth country and her chosen home: a dance between eastern sensibilities and western ideals. Her art explores history and identity and she explores themes of space and gestures of the line. 

Her passion to create stems from her upbringing in an art-filled home, frequented by artist and poet friends of her art loving parents, many of whom were later considered leading voices of contemporary South Asian art. 

Her creativity is influenced by memories of the cultural and physical landscape of her birth city where vibrant colors, scents, and textures permeate the scenery: the profusion of pattern and geometric design in clothing, pottery, and architecture; and the myriad hues of the nearby Indian Ocean. 

Nina has exhibited widely including the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit and the Detroit Historical Museum and won numerous awards including the 2021 Medal for Drawing at the Florence Biennale, Italy and nomination for Sovereign Asian Art Prize in 2022.

“My work is informed by the tension I feel between Eastern traditions and Western ideals. As a South Asian woman, my work explores calligraphy and other aspects of my own heritage. This series is inspired by the words of Sufi poet Rumi, but instead of illustrating or rewriting his poetry,  I am using the essence of his words as elements in my work. I am fascinated by the lyrical and poetic quality of the line.”

Key Details: 

• Exhibition Dates: March 14 – April 6, 2025 
• Location: Museum of Contemporary Art, 4454 Woodward Ave, Detroit, MI 48201
• Hours: Closed Monday & Tuesday; Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday 11am-5pm, Thursday & Friday 11am-8pm