Asma Mahmood is a Mississauga-based visual artist, writer, curator and arts leader whose work has helped shape the city’s cultural landscape for more than two decades. As Artistic Director, she oversees the festival’s management and provides the organizational leadership that supports its programming, partnerships and delivery.

A founding member of both CCAI and Toronto’s South Asian Visual Arts Centre (SAVAC), Asma has developed and produced cultural initiatives spanning film, visual art, music and multidisciplinary performance. Her work includes TD Mosaic Festival, Mississauga’s annual South Asian arts and culture festival; Rock the Coliseum, an independent music festival; Mosaic Soundz, which showcases Canadian musicians through live studio performances; and VIRSA, an annual visual arts project she curates.

Across these initiatives, Mahmood has focused on creating platforms for artists, strengthening cultural infrastructure and expanding opportunities for communities to encounter work that reflects the diversity of contemporary Canada. She has served on the boards of numerous arts organizations and has received multiple awards and regional citations recognizing her contributions to Canadian arts and culture.