Each one of his exhibition marks a leap of faith, both
for the artist whose work has remained banished from
state-run art establishments for years — as well as for
the state which has finally embraced an internationally
recognized artist.

What is it about Zoay that successive Pakistani
governments couldn’t stomach? To begin with, Ahmad Zoay’s inspiration is firmly and inextricably rooted in the land and persists in face of all the ideological twists that the state
might want to give to our heritage.In sharp contrast to the official version of history which begins with Mohammad Bin Qasim, Zoay celebrates what existed before the Muslim invasions:the rich culture of the Indus and its tributaries. The other element in his work that was obviously unpalatable for state ideologists is the unapologetic love for the female form.

“He is a square peg in today’s art
setup, reminding one of the ethos of
Bashir Mirza and Ahmed Parvez —
colourful eccentrics no longer around...
Those were the artists he could hang
out with, and enliven the art scene.”
says Marjorie Husain

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“Ahmad Zoay celebrates women in full
knowledge of the fact that there is not
an easy beauty. And that is why he
seems to be the kind of artist, a man,
who calls life a bitch in resentful
admiration.” writes Samina Chunara

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