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Ahmed Parvez

Born, 1926 in Rawalpindi, (now Pakistan, then India). Died, 1979

The modest brochure that accompanied Ahmed Parvez’s 1959 exhibition at New Vision Centre Gallery, London, contained several fascinating biographical details, including “Has worked in London since June 1955”, “Founder Member of Pakistan Group, London”, “Has recently been appointed the Hon. Secretary of the C.C.A. - Council of Commonwealth Artists.”

Ahmed Parvez’s work was included in the landmark exhibition The Other Story: Afro-Asian artists in post-war Britain, Hayward Gallery, London, 1989.

The flyleaf of the book AHMED PARVEZ Compiled & Edited by Marjorie Husain, Rangoonwala Trust, 2004 contained the following substantial biographical outline:

AHMED PARVEZ (1926-1979)

Ahmed Parvez was born in Rawalpindi, Pakistan in 1926. He was educated at St. Joseph’s College, Baramulla, Kashmir and Gordon’s College, Rawalpindi.
Abandoning the world of commerce, Parvez joined the studio of his artist uncle Jacobus Michael, Lahore and in 1952 he was awarded Top Honours at the Annual Visual Arts Exhibition held at the Punjab University.
Between 1952 & 1965 Ahmed Parvez exhibited his work throughout Pakistan then proceeded to London.
Between 1955 & 1964 Ahmed Parvez lived in London where he married Rani. There were four children to the marriage, a daughter Noori and three sons. For a short period Parvez worked in the Pakistan High Commission, London.
Parvez participated in numerous Group Exhibitions in Britain and countries abroad and showed his work in solo Exhibitions at the:
New Vision Gallery, London
Lincoln Gallery, London
Ashmolean Museum, Oxford
& Clement Stephen’s Gallery, London,
before returning to Pakistan in 1964
From 1964-66 Parvez lived in Karachi where he opened a studio. he painted constantly and showed his work in Karachi and Lahore. In 1966 he moved to New York where he married Reiko. a son Aleem was born.
1968 A Solo Exhibition of Parvez’s work was held at the Gallery International, New York. His marriage to Reiko ended and Parvez retuned to Pakistan in 1969 where he lived turbulently on the sale of his work.
In 1978 Ahmed Parvez was awarded the long overdue President’s Pride of Performance. A trip to Sri Lanka proved disastrous and Parvez returned within days in a state of depression. Following an exhibition in May 1979 Ahmed Parvez died of a massive cerebral haemorrhage.