Nigar Nazar

Nigar Nazar (; born 1953) is a Pakistani cartoonist. Her best-known character, Gogi, is an urban Pakistani woman struggling with her frailties in the context of sexist social norms. The character was created to educate people about social and educational advocacy problems. She is the chief executive officer of Gogi Studios.

Biography Nigar switched from a medical degree to a degree in fine arts in 1968. She graduated in fine arts from the University of the Punjab, Lahore.

In 2002–2003, she was a Fulbright scholar at the art department of the University of Oregon, and in 2009, she was a Fulbright Visiting Specialist at Colorado College. She has produced three children's books for various international NGOs on health and hygiene, the environment, disaster management, first aid, and child safety.

Now living in Islamabad, Nazar says, "My work ... started from newspaper and reached the community, as it appeared on public buses and hospitals. I published books and comics and the aim of my studio is to address mindset for a positive change."

Projects

Trauma counselling of earthquake victims through puppets Nigar devised Puppet Shows weaving elements of Trauma Counseling in the script for Earthquake victims (October 2005) Gogi comic strip characters entertained and conducted Trauma Counselling in an innovative and impactful way. Outreach Programs and lectures (January 2008 – December 2009) Nazar conducted outreach programs in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Lahore on environmental subjects. She showed animated cartoons, demonstrated the art of drawing cartoons, interacted with children, and distributed free Gogi books and stationery in Gogi school bags to the attendees. Workshops (2008–2010) Nazar conducted numerous cartooning workshops for children, especially those from disadvantaged communities, with the international non-governmental organisations PLAN, HEC (Higher Education Commission), National Government/CARE and Shaj-re-Ilm. Workshops were also organised with private organisations, such as KFC, for children. Cartooning workshop were conducted by Nigar Nazar for Karachi University, NUST and Gymkhana Lahore. Courses in drawing and cartooning were conducted in Fatimah Jinnah University.

Publications Glad to Meetcha Gogi, Adam Publishers (Malta), 1975. Gogi on the Go, Pak-American Publishers, 1982.