'Desi Futurism': the Pakistani illustrator building a career beyond borders

Digital platforms are turning illustration from a hobby into a viable career option for millions of Pakistani youth. For Hazem Asif, the Lahore-born illustrator, what began as an escape from the daily corporate routine and a personal creative outlet evolved into a global freelance career, with projects ranging from posters for Pakistani web series and a Google Doodle for Moin Akhtar to book covers for international publishing giants HarperCollins and Penguin Random House. “I wanted to be creative, take my own decisions and do something passionate,” he said while talking to Business Recorder. In 2019, Asif began building an online presence, developing a portfolio while keeping pace with international trends and tailoring his work to different market niches. The digital world, he said, helped him reach audiences far beyond Pakistan and opened the door to freelance opportunities. But his work is not only about finding a place in the global illustration market. Asif’s work also explores how South Asian culture can be imagined in the future — an approach he describes as Desi Futurism. “Desi Futurism is a way to reimagine alternative landscapes through a local lens, giving our culture a