Talha Shams (b. 1991) is a Pakistani visual artist currently pursuing an MFA in Painting at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). He received his BFA in Printmaking from the National College of Arts (NCA), Lahore, in 2022.

Shams practice emerges from the tension between concealment and revelation. Growing up in a conservative Muslim family in Pakistan, he learned at a very early age to hide feelings, emotions, and desires. Censorship imposed from the outside world became internalized without him realizing it. Within this space of restraint, a willingness to breathe, to peek out, to momentarily exist as oneself became urgent.

Working across painting, printmaking, sculpture, and installation, Shams uses etching ink as his primary medium. A recurring streak appears throughout his work, an expressive gesture that embodies both resistance and fluidity. Through repetition, this mark becomes a ritual that shapes his visual language. Each gesture resists control while embracing uncertainty. No two pulls are ever the same, allowing space for imperfection, beauty, and unpredictability. Experiments, accidents, and curiosity make Talha’s studio a place where freedom is possible, even as the world outside continues to demand conformity.