Artist Spotlight | The Ismaili Canada

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Artist Spotlight

Join us to recognize, honour and celebrate our accomplishments in the arts, by Canadian Ismaili and multi-faith artists and creatives.

Shereen Ladha - dancer, choreographer, movement & artistic director

Renowned dancer & movement artist featured on Apple, Netflix, & Canada's Got Talent, to name a few...

Ali Share - singer & musician

A versatile artist who can perform in a multitude of languages such as French, English, Spanish, Hindi, Urdu, Persian, Dari, & Arabic.

Samidha Joglekar - vocalist & musician

Gifted and versatile vocalist recognized for her Hindustani Classical, Marathi and cross-cultural music, her voice has been described as ethereal and wistful.

Jobina Bardai - contemporary dance artist

Contemporary dance artist, who has appeared in a variety of dance and interdisciplinary work in Canada and internationally.

Jamil Mawani - multimedia aficionado

Multi-talented film producer, editor, and multimedia visual artist whose work includes documenting the Jamat in Canada over the past 20 years.

Alysha Addetia - musician

Flautist and artist educator who advocates for diversity and a global approach in her teaching.

Careers in Art

Husein Madhavji - Actor, Writer, Host

Film/TV and stage actor, best known for his roles on the hit hospital drama Saving Hope and Netflix’s Donkeyhead.

Sarah Drums (Thawer) - drummer

Internationally-recognized drummer known for her mastery on the drums among all genres of music, who is often referred to as a young legend.

Alykhan Velji - designer

Creator of timeless commercial and residential interiors across the globe for over 15 years.

Careers in Art

Anisa Tejpar - dancer, choreographer, producer

Dora Mavor Moore Award winning performer, working in the medium of movement, dance and performance creation for stage, film and television.

Barkat Ali - rabab player & singer

Hunza-born singer and rabab player who learned to play from his father.

Karim Gillani - singer-song writer & performer

Accomplished vocalist, author, singer-songwriter, ethnomusicologist, and acclaimed composer of five original albums.

Careers in Art

Romana Kassam - visual artist, singer/songwriter

A self-taught multi-disciplinary artist and storyteller inspired by the resistance, the universe and the ancestors.

Farhan Umedaly - filmmaker

Award-winning filmmaker focused on sustainability, conservation and human rights.

Zohreh Alizadeh - singer

Iranian born singer who has collaborated with musicians of all styles and backgrounds.

SEEN Exhibit Artists

Zarina Boga - visual artist

A versatile artist whose vast collection of paintings, ceramics, and calligraphy has attracted an international following.

Salma Jadavji - visual artist

An artist who hopes to uplift others through her work and is best known for Arabic calligraphic and Ismalic paintings.

Ali Shaan Khemani - film maker

International award winning independent filmmaker whose thought-provoking work sparks curiosity.

SEEN Exhibit Artists

Asif Bhalesha - photographer

A self-taught published photographer whose diverse work includes wildlife, architecture, and portraiture.

Naznin Virji-Babul - sculptor

An artist who intertwines emotion and perception into her mediums of clay and stone.

Aziz Dhamani - photographer

A commercial and editorial photographer whose style emphasizes emotion, movement, and storytelling.

The Built Environment

Farouk Noormohamed - architect

Award winning and world renowned architect who's projects include the Ismaili Centre, Dushanbe.

Aziz Bootwala - architect

An architect with an adept understanding and profound respect for enabling the built environment to be accessible by all.

Arriz Hassam - designer

Award winning designer and owner of Toronto based design firm Arriz+co. His work has been featured in Architecture and Design exhibitions and publications internationally.

The Built Environment

Aliza Sovani - landscape architect & urban designer

An interdisciplinary design professional with a focus on sustainable environmental design in historic cities.

Noorullah Hussain Zada - architect & singer

Architect, multi-disciplinary artist, and singer inspired by observing and learning from the systems, geometries, and complexities of the natural world.

Safira Lakhani - intern architect

Design-research practitioner invested in furthering spatial justice and sustainable development.

Artists who Express Faith through their Craft

Zaheed Damani - singer/songwriter, storyteller

Multi-genre singer who fosters community, connection, and storytelling through music, multimedia, and writing.

Alia Noormohamed - visual artist

A multi-disciplinary artist and award winning designer who expresses her inner feelings through her work.

Mohamed Assani - sitarist, composer & educator

An artist who is both deeply rooted in tradition and known for his genre defying approach to music making.

Artists who Express Faith through their Craft

Azim Keshavjee - multi-instrumentalist

A contemporary musician and flamenco guitarist who has toured the world with critical acclaim.

Shabnam Merali - Singer and Composer

Internationally recognized Ismaili Sufi Artist with over 300 worldwide performances.

Hussein Janmohamed - choir director, educator, composer, & vocalist

An artistic visionary known globally for his innovative approaches to choral composition and devotional expression.

Arif Jinha - musician & songwriter

An artist whose mandate is to give expression to personal inner experience as it meets the world.

Omar Lalani - painter

An abstract artist who in his pieces explores the psychosensory through the interplay of colour and form.

Saba Rawjani - singer

Trained singer in Indian Classical / Western Classical music, with a long list of memorable performances.

Sophia Hassanali - social media influencer & content creator

Renowned online for sharing her passion for fashion and creating that perfect look.

Tehseen Merchant - social media content creator & blogger

Digital content creator and blogger who focuses on lifestyle, motherhood, and family travel.

Zameer Kassam - jewelry designer

Jewelry designer emerging as one of the global industry's most innovative thinkers and artists.

Jubilee Arts participants:

Mursal Bahri - actor & producer

Star of the award winning movie "The Layover," she is known both on stage and behind the camera for her talents.

Naeem Mawji - Wood Carver & Videographer

A passionate artist who constantly experiments with new tools and designs to create breathtaking wood carvings.

The "Beyond Borders" team

A collaborative effort of 10 Ismaili artists under the direction of Ali Shaan Khemani.

Jubilee Arts participants:

Arif (Arfie) Lalani - fashion apparel UX/UI designer

Award winning multi-platform UX/UI designer, bringing over 10 years of experience in technical and creative abilities.

Nureen Sumar - Vocalist, Arranger, & Composer

Award winning physician and musician; passionate about driving change through art and medicine.

Layla A. Jaffer - visual artist & designer

Multimedia artist and designer whose eclectic creations represent the transitions and dynamic experiences from her own life.

Visual Artists:

Aquil Virani - Visual Artist

An artist who blurs the line between art and activism, often integrating public participation into his socially-conscious art projects.

Anam Feerasta - painter

Toronto based emerging artist, painting predominantly in acrylic and oil, originally from Karachi.

Akim Zavkibekov - painter

Renowned painter and Jubilee Arts finalist, originally from Tajikistan.

Visual Artists:

Shamina Senaratne - interdisciplinary artist

Interdisciplinary artist working in fibre, mixed media, and text.

Taslim Samji - multi-disciplinary artist & curator

Artist, writer, curator, spoken word poet, and public speaker whose work explores identity and promotes creative thinking.

Legacy Artists:

M G Vassanji - author

Renowned author of 9 novels, two time winner of the Giller Prize, and member of the Order of Canada.

Khursheed Nurali (Sheerazi) - singer

Acclaimed singer who has captured the hearts of generations of Ismailis around the world.

Taufiq Karmali - singer

One of the most respected artists in the Ismaili community, known for beautiful expressions of love for the divine and setting poetry to music.

Farah Merani - actor, filmmaker, & advocate

Renowned actor with a long list of TV and film credits, she is also an advocate for greater representation of women on screen.

Ziyana Vasaya - actor

Vancouver based actor and producer, performer on stage and the big screen, featured in upcoming shows on ABC and Disney+

Farah Mitha - singer & songwriter

A new voice in the modern music sphere, she is a singer and songwriter that evokes a soulful world-pop sound.

Zainub Verjee - trailblazer for her generation

A trailblazer for her generation, Zainub Verjee is an accomplished artist, writer, critic, cultural bureaucrat, cultural diplomat and public intellectual.

Amin Bhatia - composer

Emmy-nominated screen composer Amin Bhatia has written music for film, television, radio, theatre, IMAX movies, and his own albums, for more than 30 years.

Amirali Alibhai - visual & live artist

Currently the Head of Performing Arts at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto, as well as visual, live, and community-based arts curator/ educator/administrator.

Nasir Ayam - Singer and Musician

Nasir Ayam is an avid musical performer, trained in singing and playing the harmonium. He was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, and is currently settled in Montreal.

IN MEMORIUM

Shamshu Jamal - In Memoriam (1936 - 2019)

See Also

Community Engagement

SheLeads: Changemakers in the Jamat

July 9, 2020 | Canada

Resources for Artists