KARACHI: On the walls of Maryam Ali’s studio in Karachi hang intricate sketches of the holy Ka’aba, a lion’s fierce expression, and jagged mountain peaks under a clear, blue sky. At 38, Ali has built a name for herself in the city’s art scene, with her drawings featured in exhibitions at leading galleries and the National Museum of Pakistan.
Ali also lives with Retinitis Pigmentosa, a rare genetic condition that causes progressive vision loss, but her art continues to draw admiration from both peers and senior artists.
According to the US-based National Eye Institute, RP is a genetic disease that people are born with. Symptoms usually start in childhood, and most people eventually lose most of their sight.
Diagnosed with the disease when she was just two, Ali discovered her passion for art as a child. She studied at a mainstream school and completed her matriculation and intermediate qualifications before tying the knot. Her vision, which has been deteriorating since birth, worsened sharply after she turned 30.
However, that didn’t dim her passion for drawing and painting. Ali honed her artistic skills by becoming the first visually impaired student to complete a diploma from the prestigious Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture in Karachi in 2022. Her husband’s support helped along the way.
