Collective 55 is an independent artist residency platform founded by Qasim Bugti, an artist, curator and art educator based in Karachi. The platform creates opportunities for artists to step away from the demands of immediate production and dedicate time to research, reflection, conversation and the development of their practice.

Rather than treating a residency simply as a period to produce new work, Collective 55 approaches it as a space for artists to explore ideas, encounter different perspectives and allow their practice to develop through sustained engagement.

Overview

The Founder

Qasim Bugti

Artist · Curator · Art Educator · Founder: Collective 55

Born in Jaffarabad, Balochistan, Qasim Bugti is a Karachi-based artist, curator and art educator. He completed his BFA in Fine Arts, specializing in Miniature Painting, from the National College of Arts, Lahore, in 2009.

His artistic practice draws from miniature painting and calligraphic traditions, with an interest in spirituality, poetry, repetition, rhythm and reflection. Alongside his studio practice, he has developed an extensive curatorial and educational practice, working with artists at different stages of their careers.

Bugti has received the Haji Shareef Prize in Miniature Painting and the National Youth Award in Painting and Calligraphy, among other recognitions. His work has been presented in solo and group exhibitions nationally and internationally, while his curatorial practice has included exhibitions bringing together established and emerging artists around contemporary social, cultural and environmental concerns.

Collective 55 brings artists together in an environment shaped by research, exchange and mentorship.

Residencies encourage interaction between artists from different backgrounds and practices. Shared discussions, informal conversations and engagement with place become part of the experience, allowing artists to test ideas, reconsider existing approaches and discover new directions within their work.

The Collective

Collective 55’s residency programmes bring artists together for periods of concentrated research, exchange and development.

Rather than prescribing a single way of working, each residency allows artists to respond to their own interests and the questions emerging within their practices. Shared discussions, informal exchanges and mentorship become part of the residency experience, creating a space where individual practices can develop alongside a collective experience.

As the platform develops, Collective 55 continues to create residency formats that respond to the needs of artists and encourage meaningful engagement.

Collective 55 Residencies

Mentorship is an important part of Collective 55's residency approach.

In 2021, Qasim Bugti participated in the Art Mentoring Programme at R.M. Studio, sponsored by Gallery 6 and the Ercelawn Art Fund. The programme included studio visits, critical discussions and engagement with established artists, educators and critics.

Today, Bugti mentors artists through Collective 55, creating space for discussion, exchange and individual artistic development alongside the residency experience.

Mentorship

ChrysArte collaborates with Collective 55 on artist residency initiatives, bringing together artists from different backgrounds and creating opportunities for artistic exchange, research and community.

The collaboration combines Collective 55's focus on residency, research and artistic development with ChrysArte's wider work in creating opportunities for artists to access new contexts, audiences and international connections.

Together, the two platforms develop residency experiences that connect artists with new environments, perspectives and communities while contributing to a stronger contemporary art ecosystem in Pakistan and beyond.

ChrysArte x Collective 55