Meet Zuhaib Ahmed Discovering Art in Simple Living

Zuhaib did not come to art through formal education or long term planning. In fact, his journey into art began less than two years ago. Before that, art was not something he actively pursued. He never attended an art school or learned techniques from professionals. What brought him here was curiosity and a need to understand himself better.

For a long time, life moved fast. Work, responsibilities, and family demands filled his days. Like many people, he did what was necessary and kept moving forward. Creativity existed somewhere in the background, but there was no time to explore it properly. It stayed unnoticed, waiting for space.

That space came when Zuhaib and his family settled in Sukkur. With stability came time. Not extra time, but enough time to pause. Enough to notice interests that had always been there but were ignored. He believes this happens to many people. When life becomes slightly stable, you begin to look inward.

His journey into art did not begin with painting or sculpting. It began with old doors.

He started noticing them around the city. Worn wooden doors, marked by age, weather, and use. They attracted him in a way he could not fully explain. He would sit near them, observe their textures, and imagine the lives that had passed through them. What surprised him was how long he could stay there without getting bored.

Slowly, he began collecting old doors. There was no plan behind it. One led to another. Each door felt like it carried memory, labor, and time. Around the same period, he also started feeling drawn toward matti, the local clay used by potters.

Zuhaib began spending time with local craftsmen. He watched how potters worked with confidence and ease, shaped by repetition rather than theory. Their work was practical, honest, and rooted in daily life. This drew him in further.

He started experimenting on his own. There was no pressure to create something impressive. He learned basic pottery, tried sculpting, failed often, and kept going. Everything was instinctive. He followed interest, not rules.

During this phase, he experienced mixed emotions. On the surface, there was calm. But internally, there was restlessness. There were things he wanted to express that words did not help with. Working with clay, collecting objects, and building things became a way to release that pressure.

As his work grew, he needed a dedicated space. Instead of renting a studio, he created one in the basement of his own home. He designed it himself and named it The Haven. It became a place where he could work without interruption. A place where unfinished work was allowed to stay unfinished.

Time remained his biggest challenge.

Zuhaib believes time is the one thing that affects everyone equally. It runs out faster than expected. You cannot do everything. You cannot give attention to everything. He had to choose. That meant letting go of some things to make room for others.

This forced him to rethink priorities. Over time, he learned to accept limits instead of fighting them. Contentment, for him, came from understanding what was possible within his circumstances, not from chasing everything at once.

Throughout this journey, his strongest support came from his family, especially his wife. She carried a large share of responsibility so he could explore this new direction. She never asked for credit. Most people did not notice her contribution, but he did. Her support made exploration possible.

Zuhaib never felt the urge to give up. He makes a distinction between giving up and letting go. If something does not feel right, he steps back. But he does not abandon what feels honest to him. Art never felt like something temporary. It felt like something he needed to understand better over time.

One of the most important moments in his journey was his first sculpture. He chose to sculpt the Dancing Girl of Mohenjo-daro. The experience affected him deeply. It connected him to history, land, and continuity. Many people who saw the sculpture felt something similar. It became more than an object. It became a shared memory.

Through Instagram, Zuhaib began sharing his work and thoughts. Not as finished statements, but as reflections. His message remained consistent. No one is perfect. No one has everything. Happiness does not automatically come with wealth, status, or recognition.

He has seen people struggle despite having resources, and he has seen people live well with very little. These observations shaped his thinking. One quote he often reflects on is by Jim Carrey, about how having everything does not solve life. Zuhaib strongly agrees with that idea.

He also encourages people to try art without worrying about perfection. He believes perfection often stops people from starting. For him, honesty matters more than polish. If something feels real, it is worth doing.

Looking ahead, Zuhaib plans to start a small venture called Matti by Haven. The aim is to create a workshop that produces meaningful work while involving local potters. A key part of this plan is fair treatment and respectful compensation for craftsmen. He wants the process to value people as much as the final product.

When Zuhaib looks back at his past self, he does not judge. He simply says that he did well with what he knew then. And now, with more awareness and clarity, he believes he can do better. His story is not about becoming an artist overnight. It is about paying attention. About giving time to things that quietly matter. About accepting limits and finding meaning within them.

This is the story of Zuhaib.
An artist shaped by time.
A creator guided by curiosity.
And a soul that found meaning not in perfection, but in presence.