Usman Riaz

It is becoming more and clear with every passing day that 25-year-old Usman Riaz, composer, visual artist, storyteller and Pakistan’s one true prodigy, can do anything he puts his mind to.

Starting out as a musician, Riaz has grown from being a captivating percussive guitarist to a mature artist who can experiment with different mediums and still articulate a narrative that is both relevant and necessary.

At a time when just a handful of (same old) artists continue to get support from the corporate world, Riaz has managed to figure out his own path and is constantly working on projects that are drenched in passion and vision.

Having made his Ted debut in 2012 when Riaz took the stage next to Preston Reed to playing with master cellist Joshua Roman during a performance at Ted Summit 2016 in Banff, Canada, Riaz has been on a roll and has represented Pakistan across all corners of the globe in a manner that is grounded, unique and memorable. His ideas contain compassion and empathy and it reflects in everything he does.

His most recent project is also his most distinguished effort yet.

Riaz is the founder of Mano Animation Studio, whose aim to is to develop the hand drawn animation industry in Pakistan. Alongside a group of other passionate and like-minded individuals, Riaz is working on Pakistan’s first fully hand drawn animated film, called The Glassworker. The film tells the story of a young boy named Vincent and a young violin virtuoso Alliz and is an examination of the effects of war on children. The film is written by Riaz who is also directing it and producing the score. The Glassworker aka Sheeshagar will be made in Urdu and will feature a Pakistani cast.

Though much attention is paid to actors who cross over to India for one film or another, its artists like Usman Riaz who have the power to inspire others with ideas and truly take this country forward. For all his persistence against staggering odds and humble outlook and so much more, Riaz is without question Instep’s Hotstepper of the Month. Enough said.

-By Maheen Sabeeh