Communication and Design
Education
- University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), Master of Fine Art, 2024
- Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture, Karachi, Bachelor of Fine Art, 2016
Notable Exhibitions
Solo Exhibition:
- ‘Who am I Meant to Pray to’ (2024), Gallery 400, Lobby Competition, Chicago
- ‘Artificial Sensations’ (2022), Chawkandi Art Gallery, Karachi
- ‘Wallflower’ (2018), Imran Mir Gallery, culmination of the 2016 Imran Mir Art Prize
Group Exhibitions:
- ‘See, Saw, Seen’ (2024), Gallery 400, Chicago
- ‘Time Won’t Tell’ (2021), Project Gallery V, New York
- ‘1×1’ (2021), Full Circle (Karachi), O Art Space (Lahore), Dubai
- ‘THP Daak’ (2020), Lahore (Pakistan) and Jaipur (India), Happieee Place
- ‘Microcosm III’ (2019), AAN Gandhara, Karachi
- ‘Focal Point’ (2019), Sharjah Art Foundation, by Vasl Artists’ Association, Sharjah
- ‘Palat kay dehktay hain’ (2019), Chawkandi Art, Karachi
- ‘Art Book Depot’ (2019), Farside Collective by Vasl Artists’ Association, India
- ‘The Long and Short of it’ (2019), IVS Alumni Show, Karachi
- ‘Within | Without’ (2018), Indigo + Madder at Asia House, London
- ‘Augmentation’ (2018), Sanat Initiative at the US Embassy, Karachi
- ‘Utopian States’ (2018), O Art Space, Lahore
- ‘Chiaroscuro’ (2017), My Art World, AnYaah Art Gallery, Dubai
- ‘Dil to Pagal Hai’ (2017), 4th Sanat Residency, Sanat Initiative, Karachi
- Thesis Exhibition (2016), Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture, Karachi
Selected Awards
- USEFP Fulbright Scholar (2022-2024), Master of Fine Art, Cohort
- Recipient of the UNESCO Madanjeet Singh Institute for South Asian Arts Scholarship (2021), Beaconhouse National University
- Recipient of Merit Scholarship (2021), Beaconhouse National University
Biography
Jovita Alvares is a multidisciplinary artist and academic with a Master’s degree in Fine Art from the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she was a Fulbright Scholar. Her artistic practice is rooted in research-driven exploration, focusing on the intersections of archives, counter-archives, sentimentality, nostalgia, and hauntology, with a particular emphasis on South Asian contexts. She is deeply invested in understanding how colonial histories shape contemporary identities, belonging, and trauma, especially for marginalized communities in the Subcontinent.
Jovita’s work spans across multiple mediums, including installation, video, textile, and photo-based media. Her studio practice blends traditional and new media to explore how different creative forms communicate complex social and political narratives.
Artwork Featured in Selected Publications
- “See Saw Seen” (2024), School of Art and Art History, University of Illinois, Chicago
- ‘Microcosm III’ (2019) by Noor Ahmed, ArtNow Pakistan
- ‘Optics of a City’ (2019). Published by Vasl Artists’ Association, featuring artist
- ‘Rioting to Life’ (2018) by Saira Danish, ArtNow Pakistan
- ‘Blooming in Adversity’ (2018) by Nimra Khan, Dawn
- ‘Dil to Pagal hai’ (2017), Catalog by Sanat Initiative
- Thesis Exhibition Publication (2016), Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture
Residencies
- Institut für Alles Mögliche (2024), Berlin, Germany
- 4th Sanat Residency (2017), Sanat Initiative, Karachi, Pakistan
Publications
- ‘Tracing Contemporary Photography in Pakistan through the Lens of Arif Mahmood and Nade Ali’ (2022), The Karachi Collective
- ‘The Role of Christians in Pakistan’ (2020), Youlin Magazine
- ‘Unearthing Karachi’ (2020), Dawn
