Misbah Ahmed is a multidisciplinary visual artist and designer based in Toronto. Her practice is expressed through sentimental observations of life that are imbued with symbols and references that move across personal and historical domains. Themes in her work examine dualities, nature, shifting cultural landscapes and everyday human experiences. She interrogates such themes by exploring and imagining narratives within the Pakistan diaspora and other communities of colour existing in liminal spaces. Her practice primarily involves oil paint and ceramic sculpture, where her creative process and methodologies combine modern and traditional techniques. Her body of work has sought to maintain and continue generational practices, while simultaneously using these practices as a vehicle for reconnecting with ancestral landscapes.

In addition to her art practice, Misbah teaches within the Illustration program at OCADU. Old Growth Press, an independent Canadian publisher, represents her publication work.



contact: ateliermisbah@gmail.com







Curriculum Vitae


EDUCATION

2018 Bachelor of Design, Illustration - Ontario College of Art and Design University, Toronto, ON


AWARDS & GRANTS

2023 Creation Grant, Toronto Arts Council

2020 CUE Grant, Margin of Eras Gallery

2018 Illustration Medal Winner, OCAD University

2018 Project 31 Award, OCAD University

2018 Nora E. Vaughan Award, OCAD University

2018 401 Richmond Career Launcher Prize, OCAD University


SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2022 “Summer Night in Islamabad”, Trinity Square Video, Toronto

2021 “Belonging to Each Other”, presented as part of DesignTO, Xpace Gallery, Toronto

2019 “If Nothing Can Save Us From Death, May Love At Least Save Us From Life”, solo show, The Loon, Toronto


GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2022 Fall collection, Ninth Editions, Art Toronto, Toronto

2022 “Welcoming Spring”, 203 Wade Ave, Toronto

2021 “In-Residence”, Towards Gallery, Toronto

2021 November collection, Digital Exhibition, Ninth Editions, Toronto

2021 May Collection, Digital Exhibition, Ninth Editions, Toronto

2019 “New Strata”, Hearth Gallery, Toronto

2019 “One of These Things is Not Like the Other”, A Space Gallery, Toronto

2019 “Old Growth Press Showcase”, The Beguiling, Toronto

2018 “Milkcrate Vol. 2: Portraits of Your Friends”, OCADU, Toronto

2018 “Milkcrate Vol. 1”, OCADU, Toronto

2017 “Evocations and Becomings”, Chinatown Soup, New York

2017 “Homework”, Artscape Youngplace, Toronto

2017 “Im/mature”, Anniversary Gallery, Toronto

2017 “Anytime, Anywhere”, Afterschool, Toronto


TEACHING EXPERIENCE

2020 - present Sessional Instructor in the Illustration program at OCAD University

2023 July - August Ceramic classes at private studio


ARTIST TALKS / WORKSHOPS

2023 “Hand-building Clay workshop”, Art Gallery of Burlington, Burlington ON

2023 “Clay workshop- Art and Everyday Life Program”, Riverdale Gallery, Toronto

2022 “Ceramic Surface Design Workshop”, Whippersnapper Gallery, Toronto

2021 “Networking and Community”, SAS workshop, Toronto

2020 “Comics Out Loud”, Canada Comics Open Library, Toronto


ILLUSTRATION AND DESIGN WORK

2020 “Venus Festival: The Future of Music”, lead designer, Toronto

2020 “Insomniac Film Festival”, poster, Toronto

2019 “Laundry”, short-film merch illustrations for Ox Head Studios, Toronto

2019 “Five Minutes in Karachi”, zine with Old Growth Press, Toronto

2018 “The Strand: Fall Magazine > Date the Strand”, portrait illustrations, Toronto

2018 “The Strand Newspaper: The Queer Issue”, front cover, Toronto

2018 “Looseleaf Magazine Vol. 5", Project 40 Collective, Toronto

2017 “DUTY FREE”, Independent south asian cultural archive, Toronto


ART AND PUBLICATION EVENTS

2019 “We Are Each Other’s Muses”, Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto

2019 “Zine Dream 12”, represented by Old Growth Press, MOCA, Toronto

2019 “OCADU Zine Fair”, represented by Old Growth Press, OCADU, Toronto

2019 “Edition Art Book Fair”, represented by Old Growth Press, Metro Toronto Convention Centre,TO.

2018 “FOCAL POINT/SAF Art Book Fair”, Sharjah Art Foundation, Sharjah

2018 “Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibit”, Nathan Philip Square, Toronto

2017 “Asian Zine Fair “, WAYF Collective, Tranzac Club, Toronto

2017 “Zine Dream 10”, The Great Hall, Toronto

2017 “TCAF”, Toronto Reference Library

2016 "Canzine 2016", Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto

2016 "Zine Dream 9", The Great Hall, Toronto


PRESS

2020 “Creating Third Spaces Podcast”, episodes 1 & 3, Toronto

2019 “Roseate Magazine”, Editorial feature, Toronto

2018 “Calander Girls, Virgo” Calendar Girls Film Collective, Melbourne

2018 Uncommon Sense v. 1, Tiger Dingsun, New York


PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

2022 Jury member for OCADU Career Launcher Grant

2020 Jury member for the JUNO’s, Toronto



© all images are the property of Misbah Ahmed