R.M. Naeem (b. 1968, Mirpurkhas, Sindh, Pakistan) is a Lahore-based artist, educator, and curator, recognised as one of Pakistan's foremost contemporary painters and a driving force behind the country's residency and mentorship culture.

Education and Early Career

Naeem's earliest exposure to art came through painting decorative designs on trucks, buses, and cinema hoardings at Jamil's Art in Mirpurkhas, under Haji Syed Jamil Ahmad. In 1989, he left home to study at the National College of Arts (NCA), Lahore, where his talent earned him a Merit Scholarship (1991–93). He graduated with a BFA in 1993, First Division with Distinction, and has served as Assistant Professor at NCA since 1994. He received NCA's Associateship in 2018, and in the same year was selected for the Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility Staff Teaching Week at Middlesex University, London.

Artistic Practice

Naeem's paintings move between realism and surrealism, drawing on the social and religious textures of Pakistani society. He has described his practice as a deliberate turn toward "peace, love and hope" — a conscious counterpoint to the chaos of his surroundings, expressed through simple, resonant narratives intended to connect directly with viewers.

Exhibitions

Over more than three decades, Naeem has held 20 solo exhibitions in Pakistan and internationally, including YATRA, A Spiritual Journey (Paradise Road Galleries, Colombo, 2023), Revisit (Sanat Initiative, Karachi, 2019), Affirm Connection (Koel Gallery, Karachi & 39K Gallery, Lahore, 2015), and Faith Soul Search (Koel Art Gallery, Karachi, 2009). His work has featured in major international events including the Asian Art Biennale, Dhaka (2004, 2006); the Iran International Artists' Biennale (2006); the Pyeongtaek International Art Festival, Korea (2006, 2007); Slick Art Fair, Paris (2010); Art Expo Malaysia (2010); the India Art Fair (2014); the Karachi Biennale (2017, 2019); and Asia Now, Paris, among many others, with exhibitions spanning Asia, Europe, North America, and the Middle East.

Residencies and Cultural Exchange

Naeem has attended 18 international art camps and residencies, and in 2015 was selected by the Chinese Embassy to represent and promote Pakistani art and education across six Chinese cities. He represented Pakistan in New York at New Pathways, Contemporary Art from Pakistan, held at the United Nations (2016). In 2025, he undertook an artist residency at Matdot Art Center, Bangkok, Thailand.

Studio RM and Mentorship

Since 1994, Naeem has run Studio RM, his own art education and mentoring initiative in Lahore, through which he has nurtured generations of young artists. In 2008, he founded the Studio RM International Residency Programme, and in 2022 launched a retreat for established artists — hosting figures such as Meher Afroz (2023) and Adeel-uz-Zafar and Khalil Chishti (2024). Through Studio RM, he has curated numerous landmark exhibitions, including the Eve's I/Eye series, Beyond DNA (1–3), and Reexamine/Retrace.

Awards and Honours

Naeem's honours include the President's Award for Pride of Performance (2023), the Sadequain Pride of Performance (2021), the National Award of Excellence (2003), and Awards of Honour from the Punjab Council of Arts (1991, 1994). He also received First Prize for Best Short-Short Film at the Punjab Film Festival (2014) and was a selected artist for Saatchi Online's 100 Curators, 100 Days show (2012).

His work is held in private and official collections and has been featured extensively in local and international publications, television, and documentary features, including a three-part documentary on his life and career, Choo Lain Gey Aasman.