Misha Japanwala is a Pakistani artist and fashion designer, whose work is rooted in the rejection and deconstruction of shame attached to one’s body, and discussion of themes such as bodily autonomy, gender based violence, moral policing, sexuality and censorship. Speaking to the objectification, commodification and control exerted on marginalized bodies by societies and systems enveloped in patriarchy, Misha’s work aims to create a new historical record and documentation of people — one that is on our own terms, and rooted in honesty, resistance and hope. Through molding the body to create casts that are worn as sculptural garments, Misha’s artistic practice blurs the lines between fashion and fine art, clothing and nudity, and asks viewers to see the body exactly as it is. Her practice is an insistence for bodies to occupy physical space, emphasizing the notion that our bodies shouldn’t need to prove anything other than being allowed to simply exist.
Misha’s calligraphic work takes the form of silhouettes of the body intertwined with Urdu script — often in an effort to reclaim words and ideas that are used as weapons of shame and control. Misha has exhibited work in Pakistan and the US. Her work has been photographed for and written about in numerous international publications including The New York Times, Vogue, The Guardian, Vice, and Document Journal. Misha’s pieces have been worn by people such as Cardi B, Lupita Nyong’o, Lil Nas X, and Joy Crookes. She was an honoree on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2021. Her work continues to be an explorative, radical, and shameless celebration of people and their bodies. Misha Japanwala was raised in Karachi, Pakistan. She has a BFA in Fashion Design from Parsons School of Design, and is currently based between Karachi and New Jersey, where she lives with her husband, and puppy Snug The Joiner.
Misha Japanwala is a Pakistani artist and fashion designer, whose work is rooted in the rejection and deconstruction of shame attached to one’s body, and discussion of themes such as bodily autonomy, gender based violence, moral policing, sexuality and censorship. Speaking to the objectification, commodification and control exerted on marginalized bodies by societies and systems enveloped in patriarchy, Misha’s work aims to create a new historical record and documentation of people — one that is on our own terms, and rooted in honesty, resistance and hope. Through molding the body to create casts that are worn as sculptural garments, Misha’s artistic practice blurs the lines between fashion and fine art, clothing and nudity, and asks viewers to see the body exactly as it is. Her practice is an insistence for bodies to occupy physical space, emphasizing the notion that our bodies shouldn’t need to prove anything other than being allowed to simply exist.
Misha’s calligraphic work takes the form of silhouettes of the body intertwined with Urdu script — often in an effort to reclaim words and ideas that are used as weapons of shame and control. Misha has exhibited work in Pakistan and the US. Her work has been photographed for and written about in numerous international publications including The New York Times, Vogue, The Guardian, Vice, and Document Journal. Misha’s pieces have been worn by people such as Cardi B, Lupita Nyong’o, Lil Nas X, and Joy Crookes. She was an honoree on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2021. Her work continues to be an explorative, radical, and shameless celebration of people and their bodies. Misha Japanwala was raised in Karachi, Pakistan. She has a BFA in Fashion Design from Parsons School of Design, and is currently based between Karachi and New Jersey, where she lives with her husband, and puppy Snug The Joiner.
