Mahmood Hayat

Mahmood Hayat (born 1981) is a Pakistani artist and teacher. Raised in Lahore and descended from the warrior tribe Punjabi Pathan, Hayat began learning his craft from a young age, seeking inspiration from his brother's library collection and his father's workshop. He trained under Pakistani portrait painter Saeed Akhtar, and became influenced by his style. He graduated from the National College of Arts (NCA), and became a lecturer of Furniture Design at the Pakistan Institute of Fashion and Design (PIFD).

Hayat holds strong philosophies regarding his artwork; in particular it offers him solace from an often violent or frustrating world. At one point, the antagonism from his peers, who questioned whether an art career was commercially viable, caused him to lose faith in his abilities and destroy many of his works. Hayat has held two exhibitions which have met with positive reviews, and had a piece featured at the 2017 Venice Biennale. He has been compared to Renaissance artists, as well as the Pakistani artists Saeed Akhtar and Collin David, by English-language Pakistani broadsheet The International News.

Life Early life Born in 1981 and raised in Lahore, Hayat asserts that his interest in pursuing art descended from his lineage – Punjabi Pathans in the tribe of Mohmand – which were known as warriors who crafted their weapons like artisans. where he observed his elders using various techniques, such as painting on wooden tables, mirrors, and stained glass. Trips to Europe with his family cemented his love and appreciation for both art and architecture.

Later life Hayat trained under Pakistani portrait painter Saeed Akhtar, building on the foundations of academic art to develop a distinctive contemporary representational style that encompasses portraits, landscapes, and fantasy-oriented subjects.

Philosophy Hayat considers art to be very personal, and based on one's own experiences.

Using Beauty as a Remedy for Life (2014) The Using Beauty as a Remedy for Life display was officially opened by Pakistani writer and television personality Mustansar Hussain Tarar at the NCA's Zahoorul Ikhlaq Gallery on 8 May 2014. It ran for a week and closed on 15 May of that year. The solo exhibition featured 25 portraits created using the techniques of: charcoal on paper, graphite on paper, water colours on paper and oil on canvas.

High Hopes (2017) A piece of art by Hayat entitled High Hopes was selected to be shown at the Venice Biennale in 2017. The oils on canvas is the smallest painting he has done to date, measuring 10x12cm. Art consultancy firm White Turban aided Hayat in getting the piece to feature at the exhibition.