Auntora Mehrukh Azad

Born in 1994 in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and currently based in Oxford, Ohio, this multidisciplinary artist engages with painting, drawing, and installation to explore themes of displacement, environmental vulnerability, memory, and cultural identity. Deeply influenced by her experiences of growing up in Bangladesh and later relocating to the United States, her practice reflects on the emotional and social impacts of climate change, migration, and shifting landscapes.

She is currently pursuing an MFA in Studio Art at Miami University, and previously completed both her BFA and MFA in Drawing and Painting from the University of Dhaka. Her work merges abstraction with narrative imagery, employing fragmented visual languages and layered materials to examine how personal histories intersect with broader ecological and global crises.

A distinctive feature of her work is the use of neon pink, an intentionally artificial colour that symbolizes the tension between natural ecosystems and synthetic intervention. Through this striking visual device, she evokes both beauty and unease, urging viewers to confront the realities of environmental degradation and loss. Her imagery often draws from lived experiences, including the disappearance of landscapes, flooding, and the fragile relationship between urban expansion and nature.

Her work has been exhibited internationally, including at the Tokyo International Art Fair (2024), Dhaka Art Summit (2023), the Yogyakarta International Art Festival (2019), and the 18th Asian Art Biennial Bangladesh (2018). In 2024, her work was also presented in a United Nations-associated exhibition aligned with the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction.

Her works are held in prominent collections such as the Samdani Art Foundation and the Imago Mundi Collection. Recognized as an emerging voice in contemporary art, she was included in the Dazed 100 Asia List (2024), highlighting influential practitioners shaping the cultural landscape of the region.