Acclaimed ceramist Sheherezade Alam passes away
Credits: Tapu Javeri
Internationally renowned Pakistani ceramist Sheherezade Alam has passed away at the age of 74. The news of her death was confirmed by the Alhamra Arts Centre in Lahore. The organisation tweeted out a picture of the artist, sending out their condolences to the bereaved friends and family members. The cause of death is yet to be shared.
— Alhamra Art Centre (@LACOfficialPK) May 18, 2022
Sheherezade was a graduate of the National College of Arts in Lahore, going on to become an artist-in-residence at Yale. She was a beloved teacher, having taught at home in NCA, as well as in Turkey at Bilkent University in the city of Ankara.
Sheherezade, born in 1948, was a master of her craft, sharing about her interest in and love for the medium in 2014, “Clay teaches you. It teaches you to take the blows with joys. You need to be attentive. If you do a little and leave it, the clay will abandon you.”
She married fellow artist Zahoor ul Akhlaq in 1971. She moved to Canada following the tragic murder of her husband and their daughter, dancer Jahan Ara, in 1999. Sheherezade returned to Pakistan in 2007, going on to set up the Jahan e Jahanara Centre for Traditional Arts for Children in memory of her daughter.
Several members of the artistic community mourned the loss of the acclaimed ceramist and teacher.