Umbreen Raza Ahmad

Umbreen Raza Ahmad is a Muslim-American abstract artist. She grew up in Pakistan and moved to Houston, Texas at a young age. At nineteen, a serendipitous decision led her to start painting. In 2002 new beginnings brought her to Austin, where she continued to paint and started a family. After fifteen years of creative expressions through paint and texture, she participated in her first art show during the West Austin Studio Tour and has continued to show in various art exhibitions since then. Ahmad holds both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in business, with art being a consistent passion throughout her academic journey. Sometimes it takes a while to recognize one’s calling but she’s immensely grateful she found home with art. She finds inspiration in nature, the human experience, and the grand adventure we call life. The constant reminder that we are a small speck of creation in a vast, profoundly diverse world that comes in many colors and creeds is simultaneously humbling and inspiring. For Ahmad it is also a reminder that regardless of the distance in time, space and culture, we are all connected by the very simple, yet powerful emotions we all feel, no matter how big an ocean or barrier stands between us. Abstract expression allows her to illustrate just this. Ahmad carries her love for writing onto her canvas by incorporating prayers, poems and thoughts about life throughout her body of work, embedded within the paint. She expresses these emotions in Urdu, her native language but at times also in English. She leans on colors and texture using oils and mixed media to honor the highs and lows of diverse emotions that are sometimes hers and others she stands witness to. She is elated to call Austin her home, a city alive with color, culture, compassion, and those much-needed vibes helping us Keep Austin Weird. She credits her children, family, and her tribe of friends for many things, but more so for motivating her, in her art and other adventures in life.