Nigar Nazar She is the first Pakistani female cartoonist. Her character Gogi is an urban Pakistani woman struggling with her frailties in the context of sexist social norms. The character was created to educate people about social and educational advocacy problems. She is the chief executive officer of Gogi Studios. Between 2002 and 2003, she was a Fulbright Professor at the art department of the University of Oregon.
Biography
Nigar changed her degree from medical to fine arts in 1968. Her cartoon Gogi appeared for the first time in 1970 in Karachi's Institute of Arts and Crafts annual magazine. She graduated in fine arts from the University of the Punjab, Lahore. She also attended courses at the Australian National University, Canberra. In 2002-2003, she was a Fulbright scholar at University of Oregon art department, and in 2009, she was a Fulbright Visiting Specialist at Colorado College. She attended a UNICEF-sponsored training session on animated film at Hanna-Barbera Studios in Manila. Gogi Studios works on projects that actively address social issues. In 2009, Nazar completed five "awareness comics on burning social issues such as extremism, corruption, sectarian violence, girls education and women rights". Three books which are a compilation of her cartoons have been published, as well as several calendars, brochures, diaries, and posters. In collaboration with non-governmental organisationss, 12 public-transport buses were wrapped with Gogi cartoons in 2004 to convey social messages. She has produced for various international NGOs three books for children on health and hygiene, the environment, disaster management, first aid, and child safety. Now living in Islamabad, Nazar says, "My work... started from newspaper and reached the community, as it appeared on public buses and hospitals. I published books and comics and the aim of my studio is to address mindset for a positive change." She is a founding member of the Asian Youth Association for Animators and Cartoonists, headquartered in Guiyang, China. She has been an official speaker and jury member of numerous art and cartoon competitions, both international and national such as the APACA, Aydin Dogan Vakfi, Himal Cartoon Conference, Cartoonists Congress, and the Oxfam Congress for Women's Issues. Nazar has conducted many workshops and outreach programs for privileged and underprivileged students in Pakistan.
Gogi
Nazar's main cartoon character, Gogi, has been a popular comicstrip in newspapers worldwide. Gogi depicts a modern Pakistani Muslim woman with short hair, long eyelashes and a polka dot dress. Asked in an interview to describe Gogi, Nazar said, "In the words of a university student who has done a well-researched thesis on my work, 'Gogi is the symbol of womanhood in Pakistan, with all her adventures and escapades in daily life, facing day to day hypocrisies in a male dominated society " The Denver Post described Gogi as "a bit like 'Blondie' and a bit like Oprah—except devoutly Muslim". celebrations for the Pakistan Embassy in England, 1986. That painting is still present in the Pakistan consulate, Bradford
Honours
Nigar was featured in the Wateen Telecom Pakistan "Icon 2010 of Pakistan" calendar. The Cartoonists Rights Network named her first among innovative users of cartoons. She received the Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah Award from the government of Pakistan. She received the Booruker UNESCO prize in 1997 for her work at an orphanage in Kyrgyzstan. BBC nominated her for Hundred influential Global women who brought about a difference in the world, she has been voted among "50 Power Women" nationally by The News
Projects
;Trauma counselling of earthquake victims through puppets ; Outreach Programs and lectures ; Workshops Cartooning workshop were conducted by Nigar Nazar for Karachi University, NUST and Gymkhana Lahore. Courses in drawing and cartooning were conducted in Fatimah Jinnah University.
