Life in the Mist, 2023  

Tea-wash, watercolour, shell gold & black ink on wasli paper

15.3 x 24.8 cm

Price: $550 

About the work:

The island with its lonely green tree represents the weak and marginalized “other.” It’s surrounded by mist and predators—the world’s more powerful forces.

I love using simple geometric shapes in my compositions, which were traditionally used either for decorations or to contain text. This painting is divided into sections, creating points of interest for the viewer to explore and ponder what’s happening. Dead trees, hidden predators, and a lonely injured, bleeding yellow bird all raise questions that viewers can answer depending on their own feelings. Red water represents aggression—the spilled blood of the innocent.

Hoopoe birds appear in most of my paintings. The hoopoe is mentioned in the epic poem The Concourse of the Birds by the 12th-century Persian poet Attar. It speaks of a wise hoopoe who leads all the birds on an expedition to find the simurgh, a legendary creature they would like to have as their leader. In the end, only 30 birds reach the simurgh, who, it turns out, is simply their own reflection. The hoopoe is also mentioned in the Holy Quran as the messenger that brought Prophet Solomon’s letter to Queen Bilqees (Queen of Shiba).

For me, the hoopoe represents beauty, peace, and prayer, or the innocent’s message being carried to the heavens. Clouds in my artwork often represent the beginning of heaven.

The Red Fountain in Our Garden of Eden, 2022 

Tea-wash, watercolour, shell gold & black ink on wasli paper (matting included)

25.9 x 33 cm

Price: $800

About the artwork:

The red fountain (a symbol of life, that now oozes blood) with its dead fish depicts the dying, or already dead, oppressed. Beautiful flora and fauna surround it, hiding the cruel reality of what’s happening in our otherwise beautiful world—our Garden of Eden. The border of clouds portrays the heavens. To give this painting a royal feel, I used “shell gold” to create a beautiful glow—gold that’s been processed to become watercolour paint, and then stored in shells.

The Red Tree in Our Garden of Eden, 2023

Tea-wash, watercolour, & black ink on wasli paper

26.1 x 33 cm

Price: $800

About the artwork:

The tall tree in the center (a symbol of life and beauty) has turned red from the blood of the innocent. But its surroundings are as beautiful as ever. It reaches up to the heavens between the clouds as if to pray for the world to recognize the horrors going on. (Its red leaves turn green as it reaches into the heavens.) Like in most of my paintings, I’ve used geometric shapes. The garden space’s pattern creates additional visual interest. I placed hoopoes on, or close to, the clouds as if they are taking the message of the oppressed to God. Clouds depicting the heavens surround the images. The Holy Quran refers to the hoopoe as the bird that took the message of prophet Solomon to Queen Bilqees (Queen of Shiba).

Worlds Apart, 2023

Tea-wash, watercolour & black ink on wasli paper

24.2 x 29 cm

Price: $800 

About the artwork:

Worlds Apart draws attention to the two totally opposite worlds we call home. The world above the stream is lively and beautiful, while the other part of the world is ignored, unacknowledged. One is happy—beauty and peace prevail—while the other is sad and lonely. The top part shows the life enjoyed by most of us, while the bottom shows a lifeless tree with little greenery (life) left around it. A lonely, melancholy bird nests below it. Red flowers try to spread cheer. But again, they’re the colour of blood. Clouds with nesting hoopoe birds depict the heavens. Feathers fall from an empty nest as if to represent a lifeless body or blood droplets. A hoopoe sits close by, but is unable to help.

What Lies Behind, 2023

Tea-wash, watercolour, gold ink & black ink on wasli paper

24.2 x 14.7 cm

Price: $550 

About the artwork:

Again, I’ve created contrasting images, using fish, birds and mysterious creatures as symbols. There’s a world in front of us. But then there’s another hidden world that might not be obvious at first sight. The outer surface has a beautiful tree blossoming with flowers. Its roots extend into the water with red blood like dots, and lotus flowers. There are hidden dangers all around. Predators hide in the water and tree branches. But behind the small entrance lies a totally different world. Fish, symbolising freedom within limits (they’re unable to leave their environment), are seen trapped behind this doorway. 

The Sun and the Moon, 2022

                                                                                         SOLD

Tea-wash, watercolour, shell gold & black ink on wasli paper (matting included)

26.5 x 15 cm

Price: $650 

About the artwork:

This was one of my earliest paintings. In this painting there is a land where the sun is shining, and then there is the night time scene with the moon. I have used shell gold for the sun and silver leaf sprinkles and white colour for the starry night sky. I have tried to create an atmosphere of curiosity and mystery. The snakes in the tee are trying to reach out to catch the fish. There is an empty boat travelling in water. Trees create a sense of beauty while the snakes and fish create an atmosphere of mystery. Two worlds shown side by side, existing in fear, but still trying to survive.