Fawzia Khan doesn’t limit herself to a single medium. The Twin Cities–based artist starts with a concept, then identifies which materials and forms will best express her intent. “I ask myself, how can I show this? And then I decide the best way to show it,” she says.
Born in Nigeria to Pakistani parents, Khan immigrated to the United States when she was 12. Before pursuing an artistic path—she studied sculpture at Minnesota State University Moorhead and graduated from the University of Minnesota with a BFA in 2005—she worked in medicine as an obstetrician-gynecologist. Her knowledge of the human body—and the humanist ideals she connects to this knowledge—carry through to her artistic work. “We’re all the same inside,” she says.
In recent years, she’s gravitated toward weaving as an apt vehicle for her ideas. Her focus on textiles was spurred by a visit to Pakistan, where she was inspired by the breadth of textile practices she encountered. “When I came home, I started experimenting,” she says. She took weaving classes at the Minnetonka Center for the Arts and joined the Weavers Guild of Minnesota. Now, a large Macomber loom is the centerpiece of her studio in St. Louis Park, just west of Minneapolis.
We the People, 2026, handwoven wool and cotton, 34 x 71 in.
