Sparrow at Heart

Zain Naqvi (born December 1989) Lahore-based Creative Designer, Illustrator and Educator currently a visiting faculty at Beaconhouse National University and serving as Art Director at Treble. Naqvi co-created one of the earliest sequential works to come out of Pakistan, Sparrow at Heart (2016) with Haider Ali Jan (b. October 1983) and published in collaboration with Rohtas 2/Lahore Literary Festival in 2016. The graphic novel, based on the life of late Pakistani master artist Shakir Ali, explores the everlasting influence of the Ali’s life and work on the country’s zeitgeist as well as the socio-cultural timeline of the country from its inception in the 1940’s to the turbulent 1970’s. The work is part of the Asian and Middle Eastern Literature Archives at UCLA and was part of Focal Point at Sharjah Art in 2018. Naqvi is also a Co-Founder at Messy Squares - a publication startup with a focus on graphic novels and comics produced locally in Pakistan.

This work features in Mangasia: Wonderlands of Asian Comics, a Barbican International Enterprises exhibition, curated by Paul Gravett. Mangasia presents a vivid journey through the art of Comics and visual storytelling across Asia. From its historical roots to the most recent digital innovations, the exhibition looks to popular Japanese ‘Manga’ and beyond, highlighting key creators, characters and publications.