Maha Ahmed (b. 1989, Pakistan) completed a MA in Fine Art at Central Saint Martins School of Art, London on the Caspian Art Foundation Scholarship (2015) and a BFA in Miniature Painting at the National College of Arts, Lahore (2012). Ahmed has lived and worked in Lahore, London, Tokyo and is currently based in Dubai. Drawing on feelings of isolation and wonder, Ahmed’s intricate, otherworldly visions of fantastical creatures and distant worlds offer a poignant refection on her personal feelings of unfamiliarity during a period of living and working in Tokyo. Ahmed dreams up imaginary worlds in which her characters - often mythical or hybrid creatures - are in some way at odds with their surroundings. Her works draw inspiration from traditional Persian and Mughal manuscripts and classical Japanese painting techniques.
Solo exhibitions include Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, Salon, West Palm Beach, Florida, USA (2024); Where Worlds Meet, Leighton House Museum, London, UK (2023); Of holding On and Letting Go, Galerie ISA, Mumbai, India (2023); The Spaces Between, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, London, UK (2022); A Place that Cannot Be, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, London, UK (2020); An Island of Truths, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, Berlin, Germany (2019), A Mute Land, Display Gallery, London, UK (2016), A Seed Once Planted, Asia House, London, UK (2016).
Group exhibitions include EXPO Chicago, Kristin Hjellgjerde Gallery, Chicago, IL, USA (2024); Indian Art Fair, Galerie ISA, New Delhi, India (2024), Art Dubai with Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, Dubai, UAE (2023), Abu Dhabi Art Fair, Galerie ISA, Abu Dhabi, UAE (2023); Facing the Sun, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, Schloss Görne, Germany (2021); Art Dubai with Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, Dubai, UAE (2020), Microcosm III, AAN Gandhara Art Space, Karachi, Pakistan (2019); Art Dubai, with Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, Dubai, UAE (2019); River in an Ocean, a collateral event for the inaugural Lahore Biennale, Pakistan (2018); I, too, am a part of this history, Fakir Khana Museum, Lahore, Pakistan (2018), Istanbul Contemporary, Istanbul, Turkey (2018); BODY, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, London, UK (2017); And the horizon is dying over the tourist, Republic Gallery, London, UK (2017); Dentons Art Prize Shortlist Exhibition for which she received special commendation by the Judging Panel (2017); and Asia house benefit Auction, Asia House, London, UK (2016).
Highlights and Collections
Ahmed was finalist for the Sovereign Asian Art Prize (2023) . Ahmed has also received special commendation for her work by Dentons Art Prize judging panel leading to an acquisition by the David Roberts Art Foundation Collection (DRAF). Maha's work can be found in the A.R.M holding art collection in Dubai.