Shahzia Sikander is a pioneering artist known for her work in traditional miniature painting. She earned a B.F.A. from the National College of Arts (NCA) in Lahore, where she studied under master miniaturist Bashir Ahmad and became the first woman to teach in the Miniature Painting Department. Her breakthrough work, The Scroll (1989–90), earned critical acclaim and major awards, bringing the medium to international attention. Sikander pursued further education with an M.F.A. from the Rhode Island School of Design and participated in the CORE Program at the Glassell School of Art in Houston.