Bio
Assalamualaikum (peace be upon you),
My name is Azka, and I am a queer, trans, Pakistani artist and community health educator based in Winnipeg on Treaty 1 Territory. My interdisciplinary practice bridges arts-based research methodologies and community care to explore themes of gender, diaspora and identity through a decolonial lens. I seek to disrupt dominant knowledge systems by centering lived experience, cultural memory and collective storytelling. My work transcends any single medium, ranging from written, spoken and lens-based art, to workshops and community engagement. As a peer support worker and health educator, I support community members navigating gender-affirming care and translate complex health information into accessible resources for all ages. My most recent project, Inviting In, is a portrait series celebrating BIPOC gender-diverse individuals in cultural attire that affirms their multidimensional identities - reclaiming visibility, self-representation, and joy in the face of erasure. I believe research can be relational and liberatory, and I am guided by the wisdom held in community.