Shammi Ahmed is a self-taught Pakistani artist from Karachi, inspired early on by the vibrant household led by the renowned artist Jamil Naqsh, her cousin and mentor. Despite having no formal art education, she discovered her passion for painting in oil over three decades ago, drawing particularly from the emotive style of Picasso and the classical strength infused by her family’s surroundings. Under Naqsh’s guidance especially his emphasis on form, proportion, and Cézanne-inspired technique, Shammi developed a distinctive style focused on human figures and semi-realistic objects rendered in oil on canvas.

Art Style & Major Themes
Shammi’s paintings prominently feature female faces, often larger-than-life portraits symbolizing eternal beauty. Her technique involves thin, translucent oil layers, subtle tonal gradation, and a flattening of three-dimensionality, all contributing to a modernist sensibility and expressive colour palette.
A hallmark of her work is the series “Beauty is Eternal,” where she merges human figures with motifs from the Indus Valley civilization: zebu cows, Indus script, faience jewellery, and iconic figurines like the Dancing Girl and Priest-King. This project reflects her deep connection to national heritage and the timeless grace of women.

Exhibitions & Professional Highlights
Solo Exhibitions:

2007: Zenaini Art Gallery, Karachi

2010: Tanzara Art Gallery, Islamabad — where most of the works quickly sold out

2016: Momart Art Gallery, Karachi

2018: Zulfi’s Art Gallery, Lahore — featuring 32 oil paintings exploring the emotional states of women

Group Exhibitions: Shammi has actively participated in several group shows over the past ten years, exhibiting her work in Pakistan and internationally, including in Dubai and London.

Awards: She won Third Prize at the Second International Exhibition of Calligraphy held in Lahore.

Gallery Leadership: In 1994, she founded Momart Art Gallery in Karachi, which was relaunched in Clifton in 2013. The gallery has presented over 67 artists, playing a significant role in promoting traditional and contemporary art in the region.

Legacy & Collections
Shammi Ahmed’s dedication to figurative oil painting and expressive colour makes her work a fixture in both private and institutional art collections in Pakistan and abroad. Her pieces have been acquired by collectors internationally. Through Momart Gallery, she has championed both her own artistic vision and the broader art community, curating exhibitions that blend classical aesthetics with contemporary themes and supporting emerging talent across generations.