Aleena Ahmed

Born in Karachi in 1987, Aleena Ahmed is a textile designer and visual artist whose practice weaves together fashion, fabric, and fine art.

A graduate of the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture with a Bachelor's degree in Design, Aleena has held leading creative positions in some of Pakistan's most prestigious fashion houses, including Bunto Kazmi, Élan, and Sapphire, where she served as Head of Design.

Despite her extensive career in the fashion industry, the artist in her never left. Painting remained her language of expression, a private dialogue she nurtured alongside her professional journey. Her work is driven by curiosity and experimentation, exploring shifting subjects and visual narratives.

Aleena's recent body of work draws inspiration from the fall, movement, and enigma of the Afghani burqa.

She is fascinated by the mystery it creates and the lives it conceals. Through the juxtaposition of these veiled forms against fluorescent, luminous color palettes, she symbolically reveals the vibrancy and individuality that exists beneath.

The pleated structure if the burwa facinates me. The fluidity it displays when they walk. Its shifting forms opening and closing with motion give a sense of freedom to me. As opposed to what the world thinks of burqa ( a confinement, restriction)
Living in Karachi exposed us to alot of cultures and ethnicities. I have observed the movement of this fabric since i was a kid. And now my passion for textiles and art got combined/blended together in my artwork.