Raza Bukhari was born in Rasht, Iran. While growing up he was greatly influenced
by Persian art especially Persian miniature painting and carpets. He was in awe of
Persian carpets and works by the Great Mahmoud Farshchian 1, which is a household name in Iran. He also saw the diversity of two different cultures, as his mother is an
Irani and his father are from Pakistan. This difference later became a key component in
his works as he amalgamated these two cultures as one. As Bukhari’s family shifted to Pakistan, he followed his passion for miniature paintings and came to the National
College of Art (NCA). Here, he explored contemporary miniature. Meanwhile, he
kept going to Iran and learned the art of illumination2.
After his graduation, he went to Iran and got enrolled in the prestigious Tehran
University to study the Art of illustration, as miniature painting is an illustration in totality.
The history of the University of Tehran goes back to the days of Dar ul-Funun and
the Qajar dynasty. Great poets and writers of Iran had studied there, and Bukhari knew
the best place to grow as a miniature artist was in Iran.