There’s an infectious energy to Aiza Ahmed’s work, from her fluid, expressive figures to the humor and theatricality she brings to explorations of masculinity and belonging.
It all begins with blind-contour drawing: putting pen to paper without looking down, trusting her eyes to observe and her hands to sketch away.
Over the past year, Ahmed took part in the Fire Station artist residency in Doha, Qatar, where she was immediately drawn to the waterfront and the men she encountered around the city, from boatmen to Uber drivers. “I was noticing a very different kind of masculinity that was more tender, that was soft, something that I hadn’t experienced before,” she told Artsy. She began capturing their likenesses.
How to build a man, 2026
Aiza Ahmed
Nature Morte
Those drawings become the foundation for paintings, textile installations, and carved wood sculptures. Across her practice, Ahmed explores the Indian subcontinent, its borders, migration, and histories, drawing on real narratives while imagining her own.
The art world is taking notice. Ahmed’s work has recently been acquired by ICA Miami, Qatar Museums, and the Pérez Art Museum Miami. In February 2026, she presented a new body of work at the inaugural Art Basel Qatar, where she was the youngest artist with a solo presentation. She also recently participated in New York’s closely watched Silver Art residency program. This week, she’s featured in Fire Station’s inaugural Artists Intensive Study Programme exhibition, curated by Egyptian artist Wael Shawky, and soon she’ll have a show in Paris with MASSIMODECARLO.
We caught up with Ahmed at her studio in Doha before joining her for a day of drawing, which took her through the city in an Uber to the waterside, where she discussed some of the men who have inspired her work. Watch the video above and explore The Artsy Vanguard 2027.
Video credits:
- Executive producer: Casey Lesser
- Creative director: Molly Gottschalk
- Director/DP: Sunny Dave
- Editor: Jack Kuczala
- Designer: Douglas Escalante
The grand rehearsal, 2024
Aiza Ahmed
Rajiv Menon Contemporary
About The Artsy Vanguard
Now in its ninth year, The Artsy Vanguard is our annual celebration of 10 of the most promising artists working today. Spanning painting, sculpture, ceramics, photography, and more, the 2027 cohort brings together a new generation of artists making work that feels fresh, urgent, and distinctly their own. Through an original 10-part video series, we visit each artist in their studio and city, offering an intimate look at their creative processes, inspirations, and what it means to be an emerging artist today. Together, these are the talents shaping what’s next in contemporary art.
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