A wide shot of a ceramics studio, featuring students working with pottery wheels and other tools.
Portrait of a person indoors

Lali Khalid

Full-Time Visiting Artist

Bio

Lali Khalid is a visual artist living and working in Chicago. She holds a B.F.A. in printmaking from the National College of Arts in Lahore (2003) and an M.F.A. in Photography from Pratt Institute (2009) where she was a Fulbright Scholar. Lali was born in Pakistan and immigrated to U.S. in 2011. Khalid uses her work as a tool to explore themes of diaspora, identity, family, immigration, and home in her own life and the lives of the people she photographs. Her images depict and document cultural and private conflicts, as well as emotive effects of natural light, through quiet, narrative allusions. She has shown her work in many galleries throughout Europe, Pakistan, and the US.

Courses

Title Department Catalog Term

Description

This foundational course introduces students to photography as a tool for creative expression and critical inquiry. Through hands-on assignments, students develop technical skills in camera operation, composition, and digital printing while exploring photography¿s evolving nature and impact on perception. Readings, screenings, and discussions provide a critical framework for analyzing images¿both personal and cultural. Emphasizing both conceptual growth and practical application, the course encourages experimentation across genres and prepares students for advanced photographic study. Required for all subsequent photo courses.

Class Number

1571

Credits

3

Description

This foundational course introduces students to photography as a tool for creative expression and critical inquiry. Through hands-on assignments, students develop technical skills in camera operation, composition, and digital printing while exploring photography¿s evolving nature and impact on perception. Readings, screenings, and discussions provide a critical framework for analyzing images¿both personal and cultural. Emphasizing both conceptual growth and practical application, the course encourages experimentation across genres and prepares students for advanced photographic study. Required for all subsequent photo courses.

Class Number

1572

Credits

3

Description

This foundational course introduces students to photography as a tool for creative expression and critical inquiry. Through hands-on assignments, students develop technical skills in camera operation, composition, and digital printing while exploring photography¿s evolving nature and impact on perception. Readings, screenings, and discussions provide a critical framework for analyzing images¿both personal and cultural. Emphasizing both conceptual growth and practical application, the course encourages experimentation across genres and prepares students for advanced photographic study. Required for all subsequent photo courses.

Class Number

1536

Credits

3

Description

This foundational course introduces students to photography as a tool for creative expression and critical inquiry. Through hands-on assignments, students develop technical skills in camera operation, composition, and digital printing while exploring photography¿s evolving nature and impact on perception. Readings, screenings, and discussions provide a critical framework for analyzing images¿both personal and cultural. Emphasizing both conceptual growth and practical application, the course encourages experimentation across genres and prepares students for advanced photographic study. Required for all subsequent photo courses.

Class Number

1589

Credits

3

Description

Junior Seminar helps students build essential professional skills for life after graduation, focusing on developing a sustainable practice based on their strengths and working style. This five-hour studio seminar offers flexible time for individual mentoring, guest speakers, field trips, extended critiques, and dedicated work time, fostering both professional growth and creative community. Through hands-on projects, students create websites, CVs, grant proposals, and artist statements while learning how to tailor these materials for different opportunities. As one of SAIC's four required Junior Seminars, this course provides structure and support within the school's open, interdisciplinary curriculum, helping students confidently navigate their future careers.

Class Number

1582

Credits

3

Description

Taken every semester, the Graduate Projects courses allow students to focus in private sessions on the development of their work. Students register for 6 hours of Graduate Project credit in each semester of study.

Class Number

2321

Credits

3 - 6