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Whether you like her art or not, Misha Japanwala made it to Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia List

Whether you like her art or not, Misha Japanwala made it to Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia List

She won the global appreciation she deserves, but some people can't understand her art and are coming for her on social media.
21 Apr, 2021

Forbes released its 30 Under 30 Asia list recently, and it featured 13 Pakistanis. Among the names was sculpture artist and designer Misha Japanwala.

With the announcement came an instant boost to Pakistan's pride. Congratulations and celebrations commenced on social media as publication after publication reported it to their viewers' great joy. In a country like Pakistan, where regular life is marred with hopelessness and pessimism, such news stories have a great impact.

Japanwala's announcement on her own Instagram post was met with great love and enthusiasm

However, we wish that were the last of it.

Japanwala's art finds its inspiration in Pakistan's social issues, and is a tool for commentary as much as it is a means of conveying her own aesthetic. Among the reasons Forbes considered her to be noteworthy and influential in what she does was the social commentary that flourishes with her art. As a woman, she focuses on women's own crises within the confines of Pakistan. According to Forbes, her "work addresses issues such as domestic violence and honour killings in Pakistan."

For crimes on the body, she tells stories of and with the body, but we all know what 'body' or 'jism' triggers in a typical misogynist mind. Her medium of choice is a breastplate. She creates moulds of bodies.

“This is the reclamation of our bodies in art and how we want to depict them and what we want to say about them,” the 25-year-old told Vogue in a February 26 interview. “The art that we consume globally is so heavily focused on the perspective of men and their view of female nudity.”

Japanwala took note on her Instagram story.
Japanwala took note on her Instagram story.

The replies she received don't surprise us any more than they do Japanwala, we bet. Japanwala's art is personal and emblematic of her own struggles and the people around her. She has the right to make her art and you have the right to not look at it, but don't be annoyed when she outshines you and gets featured on Forbes for being an amazing artist.

We're so happy with the Pakistani representation on the Forbes list. In addition to Japanwala, the list also includes electropop prodigy Abdullah Siddiqui, entrepreneur Hannia Zia, ModulusTech cofounders Yaseen Khalid, M Saquib Malik, and Nabeel Siddiqui, digital marketing professional Shayan Mahmud, CreditBook cofounders Iman Jamall and Hasib Malik, Bazaar cofounders Saad Jangda and Hamza Jawaid and Dastgyr cofounders Zohaib Ali and Owais Qureshi.

No matter whether you like what they're doing or not, these people are helping Pakistan shine and we're proud of them. We hope their efforts and success helps the next generation of Pakistani artists and innovators gain the motivation and momentum necessary to reach even greater heights.

Comments

Immad Asad Apr 21, 2021 01:57pm
This sentence needs tk be addressed: "In a country like Pakistan, where regular life is marred with hopelessness and pessimism" , smells like the editor has some serious problem with Pakistan. I am going to take this further unless it's rectified with an apology!!!!
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Chrís Dăn Apr 21, 2021 02:24pm
The lady is a very talented and bold artist. She made me proud of Pakistan in the eyes of world through this achievement. Good on her.
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M. Saeed Apr 21, 2021 02:59pm
In the modern arts, even a negative is a positive.
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Ali Mehdi Apr 21, 2021 03:49pm
Will Misha be creating body casts for males as something wearable. It could add a little variety if it’s done in different conditions. If you know what I mean.
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Abdullah Apr 21, 2021 04:51pm
Well, We know that West want the region to always look brutal zone. They give you reward on following their foot steps to destroy not only social values but ethics as well. Im not saying the work she is doing is not important but she is exploiting the problem to ear money and be their good kid. They can give her No.1 if she commercialize red zone or porn undustry here in Pakistan.
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Solomon The King Apr 21, 2021 05:40pm
it is up to her to decided that making to Forbes is an achievement. Why Forbes has to a yardstick to measures one's success. there are so many people out their who have been successfully achieving objectives of their lives - the so called unsung heroes - so what if they cant make it to Forbes............Forbes is tool to define certain class and increased social divide
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Ali Apr 21, 2021 05:59pm
I think its not about feminism or patriarchy these and similar issues should be addressed on the basis of is this a islamic country and are these artists muslims , what are our laws and is their room for this kind of expression. if answer is no we arent a muslim country and we do give freedoms to men or women or whoever to express themselves in whatever way they want fine. But currently there is a confusion for majority a overwhelming majority of this country not only is this kind of art beshermi and un islamic it has no room in this country. So yea Misha might be helping pakistan shine ! , but do most of Pakistan even remotely want that kind of shine ?
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Badtameez Larki Apr 21, 2021 06:39pm
It's funny how offense human body parts are to Pakistanis.
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shehriyar Apr 21, 2021 07:10pm
nice. keep it up misha and do not be intimidated by the apes of gravity.
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Zulfiqar Apr 21, 2021 07:51pm
There many more wonderful artists in Pakistan who paint calligraphy. Wonder why none ever make it to such lists?
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Chrís Dăn Apr 21, 2021 10:28pm
@Ali why not!
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Razzak Apr 21, 2021 10:51pm
good talent. but this should have been posted after ramadan.
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Shahid Mahmood Apr 21, 2021 11:41pm
Every mainstream artist does what Japanwala is doing. First, there were animals, then nature and flower, and now woman body. Art has its ages too. I always wonder, why it is all about breasts, hips and lips. Why not feet, hands, and the face. Is it all about sexuality? Why
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It's me Apr 22, 2021 01:41am
@Badtameez Larki awaiting your "art". Where and when will you post it. We will analyze and decide whether to appreciate or not.
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Mushtaq tokyo Apr 22, 2021 02:53am
Those who think it is pornography, they have pornography in their heads.Those who think that it is art, have art in their brain.
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Ibrahim S Apr 22, 2021 06:25am
@Badtameez Larki - when we were kids , an alien creature implanted something in our brains . That creature now controls our thoughts and our behaviour
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K Apr 22, 2021 11:50am
"She has the right to make her art and you have the right to not look at it" lol well then, we have the right to cuss her for the filth she creates and promotes.
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Shakil Khan Apr 24, 2021 12:56pm
Very commendable
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