Ali Gillani (b. 1996, Lahore) is a Pakistani visual artist known for his contemporary approach to miniature painting. He graduated with honours in Miniature Painting from the National College of Arts (NCA), Lahore. His practice draws upon the visual vocabulary of South Asian miniature traditions while engaging with contemporary questions of morality, human behaviour, spirituality, and the complexities of the inner self.

Gillani’s work brings together historical imagery and contemporary philosophy. Drawing inspiration from manuscripts such as the Shahnameh, Baburnama, and Hamzanama, he reinterprets figures including demons, dragons, and mythical beings as metaphors for internal conflict, temptation, power, and human nature. His compositions often combine finely rendered figures with expansive, unconventional spaces, disrupting the traditional boundaries of miniature painting.

Working primarily with gouache, archival inks, gold leaf, and wasli, Gillani maintains the meticulous techniques of miniature painting while developing a distinctive contemporary visual language. His practice frequently explores the tension between the Nafs (ego) and Ruh (soul), questioning how inherited religious, cultural, and moral narratives influence human behaviour.

Gillani has exhibited extensively in Pakistan and internationally. His first solo exhibition, Self and Cosmos, was held at Chawkandi Art, Karachi, in 2023. His work has been presented at international art fairs including Dubai Art Fair and Abu Dhabi Art Fair, and he has exhibited with Sabrina Amrani Gallery in Madrid. His international exhibition history also includes Miniature Revisited in London and presentations in the United Arab Emirates and United Kingdom.

His achievements include the Annamolka Award for Third Place in 2021 and Artist of the Year at the State Bank Museum & Art Gallery in 2022. His work is held in collections including the State Bank Museum, Karachi, Manchester Museum, UK, and Art Otaq, Pakistan.

Alongside his fine art practice, Gillani has worked across illustration, concept art, storyboarding, and art direction, including as a senior concept artist with Disney. His multidisciplinary experience continues to inform his approach to image-making, allowing him to bring the visual language of miniature painting into dialogue with contemporary popular and digital culture.