Born in Afghanistan, Leeza Ahmady is a curator recognized for organizing large-scale
exhibitions and educational forums that explore significant historical, cultural, and spiritual
narratives in contemporary art. Since 2005, she has produced New York’s Asia Contemporary
Art Forum and Week (ACAF & ACAW), a leading platform for artists, museums, galleries, and
cross-regional dialogues spanning all of Asia. She is also Curator-at-Large at the Foundation
for Spirituality and the Arts (FSA), where she nurtures connections between contemporary
artists, sacred spaces, and faith communities through residencies, performances, symposia,
and spiritual retreats.
Ahmady holds a BA in political science and art history and studied theology and philosophy at
St. John’s University. Her groundbreaking research on contemporary art in Central Asia
(Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Afghanistan) earned her an MA in Arts &
Cultural Management from Pratt Institute, with presentations at the Istanbul Biennale, Venice
Biennale, and Asia Art Archive in Hong Kong.
She was part of the Agents‘ curatorial team for dOCUMENTA (13) in Kassel, Germany, and
Kabul, Afghanistan (2010–2012). Ahmady has curated numerous exhibitions and public
programs featuring both emerging and renowned artists in collaboration with institutions such as
Asia Society, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, MoMA, The Met, Queens Museum, ICI –
Independent Curators International (New York), the Smithsonian (Washington, DC), the Asian
Art Museum (San Francisco), and the Seattle Art Fair. Her work has also extended to
international platforms, including Alserkal Avenue (Dubai), Mathaf (Doha), Art Basel (Hong
Kong), Jogja Biennale (Yogyakarta), the National Museum of Kazakhstan (Astana), and Sharjah
Art Foundation, among others.
She has authored numerous essays and artist catalog texts, with writings published in Flash Art,
Ocula, Ibraaz, Manifesta Journal, and other publications.
Leeza Ahmady | Director & Curator
Asia Contemporary Art Forum | (ACAF)
A Curatorial and Educational Platform | US, Asia & Beyond
Also known as Asia Contemporary Art Week | (ACAW)
