Shiblee Muneer
Born in Jhang, Shiblee Muneer hails from a family of artists where miniature painting has been practiced for centuries. Muneer’s
great-great-grandfather, Allah Ditta founded the princely painting workshop at Patiala where the so-called ‘Pahari’ style of miniature painting developed under his guidance. Allah Ditta’s grandson, and Muneer’s grandfather, Haji Mohammad Sharif (1889-1978) was an internationally known painter who worked under the patronage of Maharajah Bhupinder Singh and later on headed the Miniature Department at Mayo School of Arts (now National College of Arts, Lahore) where he developed
the first curriculum for teaching miniature painting.
Muneer caries on the centuries-old family tradition of miniature painting with all its philosophical and technical aspects and has earned his degrees from the Naqsh School of Arts and Beaconhouse National University. He is currently doing his Ms. leading to Ph.D. in studio practice at the University of Punjab.
While carrying forward the tradition, Muneer finds inspiration in post-modernist philosophy and new techniques. His experiments convey 21st-century messages so brilliantly that they gained him a place on the list of “Asia’s 10 Most-Inspiring Visual Artists” according to the Top 10 of Asia magazine in 2014. He was awarded as best contemporary painter of Pakistan by Niagaah Art Awards in 2023.
Muneer also lectures at the Institute of Visual Arts & Design at Lahore College for Women University (LCWU) and curates exhibitions. He lives and works in Lahore.
