Mahmood Hayat

Mahmood Hayat
Born	1981 (age 42–43) Lahore, Pakistan
Nationality	Pakistani
Education	National College of Arts
Known for	Artistry

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 has a piece currently 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.