Asma Chaudhary is a Pakistani-American artist from Fairfax, Virginia. Her artworks explore the duality of a domesticated homemaker by physically recreating the home environment. Asma makes every effort to use discarded materials and repurpose them into basic necessities for survival such as shelter, warmth, luminance, sustenance, mobility, and intellectual growth. Some of her installations include breaking down grocery carts and welding them into chairs, sewing workman’s gloves together to create couture-like dresses and cushions, and reformatting sleeping bags to play on the idea of innocence and crisis. Asma pays homage to handicrafts made by village artisans in India and Pakistan through her use of vibrant colors and intricate techniques. Her sculptures, furniture pieces, artist-made books, photography, and performance-based work have been shown in several juried group and solo exhibitions throughout New York, Michigan, Illinois, Texas, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Maryland, Connecticut, and the Washington, D.C. area.
As part of her aesthetic research efforts to study South Asian culture, Asma has taken trips to Sialkot and Lahore in Pakistan as well as to Abu Dhabi, Deira, Dubai, and Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. She is a member of the South Asian Women’s Creative Collective, the International Sculpture Center’s Sculpture Magazine, the Aperture Foundation, Washington Project for the Arts, Hillyer Art Space, CulturalDC, Open Studios Press' Studio Visit Magazine, Washington Sculptors Group, Pyramid Atlantic Arts Center, District of Columbia Arts Center, the McLean Project for the Arts, Artifex Graduate Student Agency, the American Visionary Arts Museum, SOA Advisory Council, and the National Museum for Women in the Arts. Asma’s artworks have been featured in the So to Speak Journal and four consecutive times in Studio Visit Magazine (Volumes 25, 27, 30, and 31).
In April 2015, three of Asma’s artworks were also selected by the curatorial assistant for the Whitney Museum of American Art for an exhibition in Huntington, New York. Asma is the recipient of the 2014 Best of Show Award from the Hylton Center and Buchanan Partners Art Gallery and completed a solo exhibition with them from June through August 2015.
Asma holds a Master of Fine Arts specializing in InterArts and Sculpture and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Information Design and Electronic Journalism, both from George Mason University.
Awards
Director’s Choice Best of Show, Private Gallery
Awarded to “The Great Divide’s Bicycle Rickshaw Adventures”
Director’s Choice Honorable Mention Award, Private Gallery
Awarded to “She’s Got Way Too Many Feelings”
American Art Collector, Alcove Media
Heroines of Washington Rising Star Award, March of Dimes
Editor’s Choice Award, 2016 National Maker Faire
Studio Visit Magazine (Volume 31), Open Studios Press
Studio Visit Magazine (Volume 30), Open Studios Press
Best of Show Award, Buchanan Partners Art Gallery
Studio Visit Magazine (Volume 27), Open Studios Press
Studio Visit Magazine (Volume 25), Open Studios Press
Exhibitions
The Late Shift: Alexandria Creates Guest Artist & Live Maker Booth
Torpedo Factory Alexandria, VA
mobileHOME MAKER 2.0 Maker Faire NoVa 2018
George Mason University Fairfax, VA
Director’s Choice Art Exhibition Juried Exhibition
Private Gallery McLean, VA
Pop-Up Artist Salon Artist Colony
Private Gallery McLean, VA
Har Mausam Rangeela (Urdu for “Every Season is Colourful”) Solo Exhibition
Herndon ArtSpace Herndon, VA
Director’s Choice Art Exhibition Juried Exhibition
Private Gallery McLean, VA
Pop-Up Artist Salon Artist Colony
Private Gallery McLean, VA
Artomatic 2017 Solo Exhibition
Crystal City Crystal City, VA
mobileHOME MAKER Maker Faire NoVa 2017
South Lakes High School Reston, VA
2017 Artist Exhibition: Stars and Stripes Juried Exhibition
Private Gallery McLean, VA
My America Artsfest: Creates-Innovates-Unites Juried Exhibition
Edgewood Arts Center Washington, DC
REMIX Alumni Exhibition Juried Exhibition
George Mason University
Arts, by George! Juried Exhibition
George Mason University
National Maker Faire 2016 MAKE: Magazine
University of the District of Columbia Washington, DC
Off the Wall Alumni Exhibition Juried Exhibition
George Mason University Fairfax, Virginia
HOME MAKER Maker Faire NoVa 2016
South Lakes High School Reston, Virginia
Charlottesville Mini Maker Faire
Monticello High School Charlottesville, Virginia
Home Maker’s Bicycle Rickshaw Adventures Artisan-in-Residence
Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum
Extreme Fibers Exhibition (December 2015-March 2016)
Dennos Museum Center Traverse City, Michigan
Silent Auction at Off the Wall Exhibition
George Mason University Fairfax, Virginia
Rehnuma Ki Beti (The Pioneer’s Daughter)
Hylton Performing Arts, Buchanan Partners Gallery Manassas, Virginia
Awarded to 2014 Best of Show Award Winner
Members Exhibition
Pyramid Atlantic Arts Center Silver Spring, Maryland
Extreme Fibers Exhibition (June – December 2015)
Muskegon Museum of Art Muskegon, Michigan
Barnes and Noble Maker Faire B&N Maker Faire 2015
Barnes and Noble McLean, Virginia
Artomatic 2015 Solo Exhibition
Prince William Parks and Recreation Hyattsville, Maryland
EXPO 34 Juried Exhibition Juried Exhibition
BJ Spoke Gallery Huntington, New York
Curated by Adrienne Rooney, curatorial assistant for the Whitney Museum of American Art
Asma Chaudhary: HOME MAKER 2.0 Maker Faire NoVa 2015
South Lakes High School Reston, Virginia
Northern Virginia Community Foundation, Wyolum, and Ideaventions
Bank of the Arts Juried Exhibition Juried Exhibition
Craven Arts Council and Gallery New Bern, North Carolina
Mending: New Uses for Old Traditions Juried Exhibition
University of North Carolina Wilmington Wilmington, North Carolina
Collaboration with UNCW and the Southeastern Women’s Studies Conference Association
Islamic Art Revival Series: International Juried Exhibition Juried Exhibition
LuminArté Gallery Dallas, Texas
Curated by Dr. Iftikhar Dadi from Cornell University and author of book titled, Modernism and the Art of South Asia
Material Matters: National Juried Fibers Exhibition
Union Street Gallery Chicago, Illinois
Curated by Kraig Rasmussen of the Textile Center in Minneapolis, MN and Joan Livingstone from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
The Hylton Center’s Inaugural Juried Exhibition Juried Exhibition
Buchanan Partners Art Gallery Manassas, Virginia
Curated by Bradley Stevens of George Washington University, Helen Frederick of Pyramid Atlantic, and Andy Grundberg of Corcoran College
Soulcology of Metals Exhibition
Guilford Art Center Guilford, Connecticut
Curated by Lanette Barber of Guilford Art Center and juror Robert Dancik
Figuratively Speaking, Contemporary Art, and the Human Body Juried Exhibition
The Rymer Gallery Nashville, Tennessee
Curated by Natalie Dunham, gallery director for The Rymer Gallery
Women’s Voices, Women’s Visions
Fenwick Gallery Fairfax, Virginia
Curated by Ceci Cole McInturff, founder of 87FLORIDA Artist Collective
Asma Chaudhary: HOME MAKER Maker Faire NoVa
South Lakes High School Reston, Virginia
Sponsored by Northern Virginia Community Foundation and Wyolum and Ideaventions
Juried Art Exhibition at the Hill Center Galleries
Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital Washington, DC
Curated by Phiip Kennicott, Art and Architecture Critic for the Washington Post
Alchemical Vessels Exhibition and Benefit
Smith Center for Healing and the Arts Washington, DC
Sponsored by DC Commission for the Arts
AWSome Call for Art! Juried Exhibition
Amazon Web Services Headquarters Herndon, Virginia
Curated and co-sponsored by Herndon ArtSpace
Artifex: First Annual MFA Exhibition
Fine Arts Gallery, George Mason University Fairfax, Virginia
Curated by Judy Sherman of j. fine art
Home Maker
Fine Arts Gallery, George Mason University Fairfax, Virginia
MFA Exhibition
Exchanged 2
artWORKS Gallery Harrisonburg, Virginia
Curated by Tom Ashcraft and Mia Feuer
EMULSION: First Annual East City Art Regional Juried Show Juried Exhibition
Gallery O on H Street Washington, DC
Curated by Lauren Gentile, founder of Contemporary Wing
Hickok Cole’s 14th Annual Art Night Juried Exhibition
Hickok Cole Architects Firm Georgetown, DC
Sponsored by Washington Project for the Arts and Hickok Cole Architects and curated by Judy Sherman of j. fine art
Juncture Show
Fine Arts Gallery, George Mason University Fairfax, Virginia
SOA Graduates: Recent Work Juried Exhibition
Gallery 123 Fairfax, Virginia
Lucky 13: Graduate Design Show Juried Exhibition
Fine Arts Gallery, George Mason University Fairfax, Virginia
The Free Hugs Campaign: Part Deux with Burqah Performance
Johnson Center Plaza Fairfax, Virginia
Phir Bhi Dil Hai Pakistani (Urdu for
Johnson Center Plaza Falls Church, Virginia
The Great Divide's Bicycle Rickshaw Adventures
Johnson Center Plaza Washington, DC
Design du Jour Solo Exhibition
Mason Hall Atrium Fairfax, Virginia
BFA Thesis Exhibition
The S. Carbonneau Beaver Case Show of Amazing Marvels Juried Exhibition
Fine Arts Building Fairfax, Virginia
Exchanged Show Juried Exhibition
artWORKS Gallery Harrisonburg, Virginia
The Sustainability Project: Tree Lighting Performance
George Mason University Fairfax, Virginia
The Free Hugs Campaign Performance Juried Exhibition
Johnson Center Plaza Fairfax, Virginia
Arts, by George!
de Laski Performing Arts Building Fairfax, Virginia
Container and Contained
George Mason University Fairfax, Virginia
Honors Seminar: Recent Work
Gallery 123 Fairfax, Virginia
Time Constraints and Escape: Site-Specific Installation
Johnson Center Plaza Fairfax, Virginia
Hanging Gates: Site-Specific Installation
Johnson Center Plaza Fairfax, Virginia
Experience
Guest Critic at GRACE: Greater Reston Art Center
2017 Reston, VA
Arts and Crafts Workshop Facilitator at Infant Toddler Family Day Care
October 2016 Fairfax, VA
Visiting Artist-in-Residence at Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum
2016 Winchester, Virginia
Social Media Consultant at NoVa Maker Faire
2016 – Present Reston, VA
Juror for Ceramics, Sculpture, and Design at Scholastic Regional Juried Exhibition
January 2016 – January 2016 Northern Virginia
WPA Fundraising Volunteer & Gallery Docent at Washington Project for the Arts
2015 Washington, DC
Raised over $10,000 at the WPA Art Night Auction hosted by Hickok Cole Architects
Adjunct Professor at George Mason University
2015 – Present Fairfax, Virginia
GRACE Fundraising Volunteer at Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE)
2014 – 2014 Reston, VA
Raised over $1,500 in donations during the Virginia Fine Arts Festival.
Exhibition Assistant, Sculptor, and Gallery Docent at An Unkindness (Mia Feuer’s Exhibition at Corcoran)
2013 – 2014 Washington, DC
Graduate Lecturer at George Mason University
2013 – Present Fairfax, VA
Post-Graduate Teaching Assistant at George Mason University
2013 – 2014 Fairfax, Virginia
Graduate Teaching Assistant at George Mason University
2011 – 2013 Fairfax, Virginia
Gallery Docent at Arts, by George!
2011 – 2012 Fairfax, Virginia
Volunteer Assistant at Always Becoming (National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI)
2007 – 2007 Washington, DC
Broadside Newspaper at George Mason University
2007 – 2008 Fairfax, Virginia
Fundraising Volunteer at Green Festival
2007 – 2008 Washington, DC