Wajeeha Abbasi is an internationally featured Illustrator and Graphic Designer.
Her work represents narratives and moments from every day, along with themes around women, pop culture and the philosophy of the Self and the Other.
Abbasi has won Ladybird Books Publications award and has had her work exhibited/featured on several platforms including London Design Festival, Digital Arts, VM Art Gallery, Elle Italia, Made in Arts London and The Floating Magazine. She has worked on projects for NASA, V&A Museum, Coca-Cola EU, UN Women, YLabs, Herald and Red Bull amongst others.
Abbasi completed her Masters in 'Illustration and Visual Media' from London College of Communication, University of the Arts London (UAL) in 2015 where she was the recipient of the Vice Chancellor's International Scholarship. She did her Bachelor's in 'Communication Design' from Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture in 2012 and after graduation, worked as a graphic designer at Ogilvy. In the last four years, she worked as the Manager Brand and Design and Communications Manager at the British Council in Pakistan, before moving to Toronto, Canada.
Other than illustrating, Abbasi enjoys indie music, travelling, going to gigs, cycling, watching art documentaries and spoiling her cat.
Projects
- Me, Myself & Ai - Days of Light and Darkness at VM Art GalleryMe, Myself and Ai questions the future of 'Self' in relation to technology, spirituality and self-awareness. Taking inspiration from Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis and William James' theory of I Self vs Me Self, the work explores how humans, as a race, will evolve and define the Self, the Other and the Ultimate Other, in connection to technological advancements. Will our human self - the body as flesh and bones - be transformed into something more evolved that will blur the lines between ‘Me Self’
- Cacophony by the Sea - Red Bull Curates Canvas CoolerIs it nausea or a head rush? One can't quite tell the difference when they're reminiscing about Karachi. The whirlwind that engulfs and pulls you into the staggering pace of this fast-moving city. The almost tinnitus like the sound of the waves crashing against each other on sea view. The crows and seagulls heckling each other, and us, from up above. The camel bells at sunset and the electric current running through the live wires that create a web over the city. These sounds bring with them tha
- RADICAL AF X WAJEEHA ABBASI - Illustrations for Streetwear Brand Collaboration with the sustainable streetwear line RADICAL AF. Radical AF is creating a platform for artists, activists, writers and influencers to collaborate and create change through dialogue, starting with helping women around the world to fight for their rights and the challenges they face in everyday life. Illustrations based on the metaphysical philosophy of The Self, The Other and The Ultimate Other. Each illustration represents an aspect of the human self: the human self confined to
- The Nostalgia Notebook and Mug - KuracheeCeramic mug and A6 sized hardbound notebook with 100 lined pages, designed for Kurachee - a creative platform creating products, prints and publications with illustrators and designers. The design reflects the quintessential Pakistani comfort, street food, snacks, and beverages. Order online through: Kurachee facebook and Instagram pages Ceramic Mug/ A6 notebook Year 2019
- National Taste of Pakistan‘National’s Taste of Pakistan' Cookbook cover design, illustration, and Inside icons for dividers reflect the diversity of Pakistani dishes. From the traditional cuisines to modern desserts and street food, this book contains all that one needs to know about Pakistani food. The recipes in the book are by Pakistani celebrity chef, Chef Sahadat and the book has been sponsored by the condiments and spices company, National Foods. Produced in collaboration with Shoot at Sight Agency. Print size 1
- Do I Contradict Myself? The Long and Short of It - IVS Alumni Show 2019Wajeeha Abbasi (Batch of 2012) and Sharmeen Peshimam (Batch of 2007) Our work explores the concept of introspection through the four archetypes described in Carl Jung’s Map of the Soul. It focuses on our conscious curation of Self i.e. Persona and the Ego, and our unconscious complexity i.e. the Anima/Animus and the Shadow and our journey of finding the balance between them. All these elements are separate yet one, they make us who we are, and who we are learning to be every day. Contingent to
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Projects credited in
- Dyslexia - Creatively AbledA brief allotted to MA Illustration and Visual Media students. We, a group of 12 students, managed to develop the entire storyboard, create the characters, backgrounds, infographics, typography, animation and sounds. I came up with the title for the film – ‘Creatively Abled’. It is based on the thought that the Disabled especially with Dyslexia do not lack skills but are rather blessed with creativity and are hence – Creatively Abled! The characters and backgrounds in the film are kept simple, so that they are recognisable and easily relatable. Also, the message is given more importance and highlighted. The graph paper is used to add a more crude, authentic and aesthetic appeal. While the font for the titles is created simply with folded paper, to make it interesting and fun, the font for all information is a font called ‘Dyslexie’ which is a special typeface, and is easier to read for the people with dyslexia. Even the colour scheme is accordingly chosen, which is subtle and not too flashy. The infographics are bold and with brighter colours to grab attention to the important information. Lastly, the music and sounds chosen are to make the video enjoyable.
- Dyslexia - Creatively AbledA brief allotted to MA Illustration and Visual Media students. We, a group of 12 students, managed to develop the entire storyboard, create the characters, backgrounds, infographics, typography, animation and sounds. I came up with the title for the film – ‘Creatively Abled’. It is based on the thought that the Disabled especially with Dyslexia do not lack skills but are rather blessed with creativity and are hence – Creatively Abled! The characters and backgrounds in the film are kept simple, s
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Work history
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Graphic Design and Communications SpecialistCareRx
CanadaFull Time
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Graphic Designer, Illustrator and Art DirectorFreelancer
Toronto, CanadaFreelance
Managing branding and design projects from concept to completion for reputable organizations using design and illustration skills for print and digital mediums, consistently meeting deadlines. Worked on projects for NASA, Ladybird Books, Coca Cola EU, UN Women, V&A Museum, Red Bull, British Council Libraries,
YLabs and MakerFaire UK amongst others.
Group Shows:
• London Design Festival
• ZVMG Rangoonwala Art Gallery
• Jaipur Book Depot, India
• Focal Point Sharjah
• IVS Alumni Show - IVS Gallery
• Red Bull Residency
• UAE Youth Convention of Pakistan
• Made in Arts London
• Jumma Hafta Art Bazar - T2F
• Warehouse Art Gallery
Features and Press:
• Digital Arts Magazine
• Elle Italia Magazine
• Al Jazeera Newspaper
• Elephant Magazine
• The Floating Magazine
• Make Nice Digital Magazine
• Mango Popsicle Digital Magazine
• Pakistan Cultural Immersion
• Fabrica Magazine
• UAL Blog
• Successfully conceptualized and delivered experiential product for astronaut Tim Peake for the NASA’s ‘Principia’ mission, featured on ‘Heston’s Dinner in Space’ on Channel 4, UK.
• Won Best Interactive Installation at the 100 years celebration of the Ladybird Books Publications, showcased at the London Design Festival 2015 and featured in Digital Arts Magazine.
• Exhibited in group shows at Jaipur Book Depot India, VM Art Gallery, Focal Point Sharjah, Red Bull Residency, Creative Karachi Festival and featured in Al Jazeera, Elle Italia and Made in Arts London
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Skills
- Packaging
- Advertising
- Visual Arts
- Print Design
- Drawing
- Design
- Illustration
- Photoshop
- Graphic Design
- Book Cover Design
- Layout Design
- Media Communication
- Music Design
- Typograhphy
- Urdu
- Animation Design
- Graphic Art
- Graphic Print
- Graphic Communication
- Internal Communications
- Communications Coordination
- Studio Management
- Art Direction
- Event Branding
- Event Management
- Creative Art Direction
- Art Directon
- Book Illustration
- Digital Illustration
- Vector Illustration
- Design Development
- Branding
- Branding Design
- Branding Infographics
- Packaging Design
- Event Communications
- Event Curation
- Event Design
Education
MA Illustration Visual MediaUniversity of The Arts London (UAL)
- London, United Kingdom
MA Illustration and Visual Media at London College of Communication, UAL
• Recipient of the full University of the Arts London Vice Chancellor’s International Scholarship for Masters at LCC, UAL.
• Successfully presented thesis and dissertation on ‘The Self and The Other’ and the stereotyping in iconography as a medium of visual communication.
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BA Communication DesignIndus Valley School of Art & Architecture
- Karachi, Pakistan
• Successfully presented thesis on the revival of traditional Pakistani games and dissertation on the future of album art in the Pakistani music industry.
Awards
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Best Interactive Installation -100 years celebration of the Ladybird Books PublicationsLadybird Books
Won Best Interactive Installation at the 100 years celebration of the Ladybird Books Publications, showcased at the London Design Festival 2015 and featured in Digital Arts Magazine.UAL Vice Chancellor’s International ScholarshipUniversity of The Arts London (UAL)
Recipient of the full UAL Vice Chancellor’s International Scholarship for Masters at UAL+ Show more