Zain Alam

Zain Alam (b. 1990) is an artist and composer of Hindustani origin born in Flushing, Queens and raised outside of Atlanta. His work emerges from a lifelong question: in what ways can sound convey the ineffable? He contemplates especially the distance between the effable in one language and what lies beyond translation to another.

His recording project Humeysha began during his year working as an oral historian for 1947 Partition Archive. Across video, performance, and installation, sound remains the central organizing principle in Alam's practice, in addition to collaborations in film, sculpture, and design.

Alam’s work has been featured in Hyperallergic, Vice, Village Voice, and the New York Times. His performances have been staged at the Rubin Foundation, Creative Time, and Center for Arts, Research and Alliances (CARA). His installations have been exhibited by the Laundromat Project, American Cultural Association of Morocco, and Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts.

He completed his graduate work in Islamic studies at Harvard University. He is a spring 2026 MacDowell fellow and a 2026 NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellow in Digital/Electronic Arts.

His multi-channel installation work Meter & Light: Night was on view at The Shed as part of their summer 2025 Open Call exhibition. He will be conducting research in South Asia for the next installment of Meter & Light as a recipient of the 2026-2027 Creative Research Grant from the Foundation for Contemporary Arts.