Fatima Zaidi

Fatima (She/They) is an Indian-Pakistani artist, designer, poet, and special education advocate who weaves culture, creativity, and community into everything she does. As the visionary behind the queer femme hair braiding celebration held at Queer Arts Featured, Paranda Party, Fatima designs each paranda with intention and care, honoring the traditional Punjabi art form while reimagining it for the modern world. These handcrafted parandas celebrate South Asian heritage and create a space where the magic and beauty of community come together.

Her artistry is also expressed in painting, most notably through Nashpati the Kinnar, a Pakistani trans icon born from Fatima’s imagination. As Nashpati travels the globe, her story is carried and reshaped by those who encounter her. Creating Nashpati was a turning point for Fatima, transforming the pain and suffering of exclusion into a deeper commitment to intersectionality, inclusion, and the belief that inclusion is the path toward collective liberation.

Through every braid and every brushstroke, Fatima’s work seeks to promote dignity, nurture belonging, and spark transformation, both personal and collective.