Kashmir 2019, 2020   

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

21.1 x 31.2 cm

Private Collection

About the artwork:

My politically oriented paintings began with this piece.

Though occupied by India, Kashmir had status as a separate state before the 1947 Indian Partition. It enjoyed certain rights, like having its own flag. Since being invaded by Indian forces in 2019, the State of Kashmir got turned into one of the largest prisons that ever existed. All rights were taken away. Its population was cut off from the rest of the world, and its politicians were exiled or imprisoned.

The left side of this work shows a beautiful, almost perfect place. But its tree—symbolizing life—is getting squeezed by the Indian flag tied around its trunk. Life is being sucked out in the form of blood. This blood continues to the right side, where death and destruction prevail. Things are no longer safe there. Dead trees, blood, and dark clouds surround that section.

I used the concept of day and night—daytime to show life; night to represent death and horror.

Predator and the Prey-1, 2021

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

21.3 x 13.3 cm

Price: $500

About the artwork:

This is the first in a series of three paintings. I used gold leaf to give a feeling of elegance and beauty. It also provided me with a totally different surface to work on. The predator bird atop the tree looks down for an opportunity to grab its prey. Tree roots and flowers surrounding the gold oval try to cover and protect the life within it from harm. Inside the oval, a school of fish tries to hide from the predator eyeing them from above. They’re safe fish for now, but for how long? The bird represents the dangers we are facing. The fish represent the weak and oppressed.

Predator and the Prey-2, 2023

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

21.3 x 13.3 cm

Price: $500

About the artwork:

I used gold leaf again in this second painting in the Predator and the Prey series. Life within the oval includes two nests with eggs, and a single bird. What happened to the second bird? That bird is trying to reach its nest, barely escaping the waves that surround the oval, trying to reach in and drown it. Monstrous predators lurk within the waves and on the tree—ready to grab the bird and its home if they fall into the water. Dark and sombre colours depict the deathly predators. But I used gold to portray the oval and the precious life within it.

Predator and the Prey-3, 2023

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

23.5 x 15.5 cm

Price: $500

About the artwork:

This is the last in the Predator and the Prey series. The top half of the composition is cloudy and gloomy. Half hidden in clouds and mist, predator birds circle their prey. Fish—the prey—are in a frenzy trying to escape their predator. Instead of using gold within the artwork, I surrounded it with gold sprinkles, creating an additional connection among the three paintings in the series.

The World I’m Surrounded By-1, 2023

                                                                                                           SOLD

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

24.8 x 16.5 cm

Price: $550

About the artwork:

This is a second series with gold leaf ovals that give the painting’s center a different feel and texture that contrasts with the outside. I created the image within the gold oval using only black ink because I didn’t think the gold surface required additional bright colours. The plants at the bottom of the oval are gradually breaking up and disintegrating, taking different shapes and floating up to the top. The surrounding landscape with beautiful flora and fauna is kind of surreal. This painting is a simple representation of two opposing worlds. I find myself being part of the world inside the ovals—a life well lived but disintegrating with time and age.

The World I’m Surrounded By-2, 2023

                                                            Private Collection

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

25 x 16.3 cm

Price: $550

About the artwork:

In this second painting in this series, I again used gold leaf to give the middle of the work a different feel and texture. The outside again contrasts with the middle. The image within the gold oval was created again with black ink. This painting is another simple representation of two opposing worlds—myself, again, being part of the world within the oval.

Disconnect, 2023

Tea-wash, watercolour & black ink on wasli paper

22.8 x 24.7 cm

Price: $550

About the artwork:

Two ovals depict different societies and cultures. They are so close to each other, yet so far apart. Their inhabitants try to connect, but live in their own unique worlds. Thread-like stems link the two ovals. The two sides are total opposites: flowers and fish. The flowers and fish at the bottom seem to be having a conversation, but their worlds remain divided. The border depicts the world—cold, uncaring, and self involved. Again, hoopoe birds fly in as if to help them unite to be at peace with each other.

Plight of the Simurgh-1, 2023

Tea-wash, watercolour & black ink on wasli paper

14.6 x 20 cm

Price: $550 

About the artwork:

This is the first painting in the Plight of the Simurgh series, in which I use multiple perspectives. A mythical Persian bird, the simurgh is beloved among Iranians. In its legends, it faced many difficulties, making it wise, strong, patient, and kind. These are some of the many positive traits that humanity needs to adopt.

In this painting, the noble creature tries to protect its home and its family—using its own body as a shield—although violence in the form of weapons surrounds it. The roots of the greenery around it are intertwined, as if in a conspiracy to hurt the creature and its family. Clouds depict the heavens surrounding the world. Once again, hoopoes attempt to fly in to lend a protective hand, or to listen to the poor creature’s plea and take its prayers up to the heavens and God almighty.

I chose grey, green, white, and black for the section surrounding the simurgh in order to place the focus on the main character—the simurgh—painted on a lighter and slightly brighter background.

This painting was inspired by the people around the world who are fighting with strength and patience for their homeland and their families against oppression.

Plight of the Simurgh-2, 2023

Tea-wash, watercolour & black ink on wasli paper

14.8 x 20.2 cm

Price: $550

About the artwork:

This is the second in the Plight of the Simurgh series. In this painting, this noble creature of Persian mythology is trying to save its home and its family, by carrying them to the safety of its homeland atop faraway mountains. A gun points towards it, and despite being injured, it hasn’t forgotten to safeguard its loved ones.

I used the same colour palette as the first painting in this series. Clouds depict the heavens, and hoopoes portray the ones trying to carry the simurgh’s plea to the heavens. The intertwined roots of the surrounding trees give a feeling of a conspiracy to prevent the simurgh from escaping its prison-like environment.

Lest We Forget 1948-2024...An Ode To Palestine, 2023

                                                  Private Collection

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

22.9 x 20.5 cm

Price: $700

About the artwork:

This painting is about the atrocities that have been happening in Palestine since before 1948, the year of the first naqba (catastrophe). What began after October 7th,  2023, and still continues into 2025, has been labeled the second naqba.

I used many symbols to depict Gaza and Palestine: centuries-old olive trees that have been nearly completely chopped down, poppy flowers, the wall separating the West Bank from Israel, a golden dome. The barbed wire surrounding Palestine shows this to be a huge modern-day detention camp.

There are missiles and guns pointing towards the people. There are schools, hospitals, mosques, churches, and apartment buildings which portray sadness and loneliness. The people painted as if they are unreal, surrounded by quick, rough white brush strokes. The white surrounding them represents the kaffan (pieces of white cloth that Muslims are wrapped in before burying them), and coffins (showing what the Christians are also facing), and it eventually becomes their fate.

The surrounding colour is dark red (colour of dried up blood) with a few banana trees growing (I got the inspiration of these particular banana trees from Jericho banana trees, a city in the West Bank). I wanted to keep the outer area of the painting a bit simple and less busy so that the eye could travel easily to the middle part of it. The bottom of the painting shows three missiles pointing towards the civilians with written words on them.  These words show who supplied the majority of these weapons and who is using them. In reality these missiles do carry messages of destruction and signatures  before they are dropped on to the Palestinian civilians. At the very top is the golden dome of the Al Aqsa Mosque, again not too detailed in order to let the audience concentrate more on the middle of the art work.

On the border of the artwork, instead of making patterns, I have copied the poem “I’m Not From Palestine” author unknown.

Gaza 2023-1, And Then There Were Few, 2023

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

21.6 x 14.7 cm

Price: $550 

About the artwork:

This is the first one in the series of four paintings. I love using oval shape in my artwork. The ovals let me use my imagery in a way that I find will not be suitable in any other shape. This painting starts the story of the children of Gaza, where there were so many who did not survive this genocide. In the painting the children’s figures are captured inside the oval, which depicts the confinement of Gaza. Within the oval I have used tea-staining to create a somber effect. There are red snake like creatures slithering around keeping them captive in their own land and a few flowers blooming.

There is a small window which symbolizes a way out. The children are all looking around as if expecting help, or perhaps death. The world surrounding them is still alive and beautiful, but is a witness to the modern day genocide. That beauty is covering the evils of war crime and hiding guns and missiles. I have also made use of Arabic calligraphy, the words I have included are the ones being uttered by the Gazans every day and shows their strong faith. At the bottom I have included the same words but with its English translation. The first one says “Ahhamdulillah  -   Praise be to Allah (God). The Arabic words on top are written on a string like line (using black and gold ink), which acts as the connection between Gaza and the heavens. This depicts direct connection and strong faith between Allah (God) and those people.

I love using oval shapes because they beautifully accommodate my imagery.

Gaza 2023- 2, Now Alone

                                                        Private Collection

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

21.6 x 14.7 cm

About the artwork:

In this second painting, children are gradually disappearing, they are mostly gone while Gaza waits for a ceasefire to happen. The last figure represents just “one” left out of a family of many. That “one” is now left without their families, friends, and their loved ones. Confined in the oval and still no way to escape their fate.

The windows are still there but no one in this world has the guts to take advantage of these openings to save Gaza. I have added olives and poppies to the scene as they represent Palestine, and a lonely flower at the bottom. The survivor is looking up to the sky towards the moon hoping for help, as if praying to God, but red is still falling down from the sky. The world around is still beautiful, thriving, and still hiding the “weapons of mass destruction” but fails to acknowledge what it’s doing to those people. The oval again has tea wash, some colour and mostly black ink.

I have made use of Arabic calligraphy again. At the bottom I have again included the same words with its English translation. This one says “Allah o Akbar”  -  Allah (God) is the Greatest. The Arabic words on top are again written on a string like line (using black and gold ink), which acts as the connection between Gaza and the heavens.

Gaza 2023- 3, Sole Companion, 2023

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

21.6 x 14.9 cm

Price: $550 

About the artwork:

This is the third painting in the Gaza 2023 series. Like in most of my work, the oval shape contains its central theme.

A Simurgh (si means thirty, and murgh means bird), a mythical creature of Persian miniatures, has now appeared to keep the surviving child company. This creature symbolizes many different qualities that if humanity adopted, could have saved the Gazan civilians from the beginning. Gazan people want to save their children. The doctors, nurses, and the press etc. who have been screaming for their voices to be heard by the people in command to save them and their children. Here this creature who represents these noble people, is trying to rescue the child from the horrors of genocide going on, but is also trapped in that land and has no way to help the children. Windows, olive branches and flowers all symbolize Gaza. There are missiles still pointing towards them, even though many Gazans have already been killed and their land destroyed, but those missiles still  keep closing in on them.

I have used mountains in this painting because the home of the legendary simurgh is the mountain. The lonely peacock is looking up at the missiles, maybe surprised of their existence, as the peacock represents beauty and here it is contrasted by the missiles which represent death and destruction. In this third one I have used the words: “HasbunAllahu wa ni’mal Wakeel”, which translates to: Sufficient for us is Allah (God), and He is the best disposer of affairs (From the Quran). The same string concept is used here.

Gaza 2023- 4, Nightfall in Gaza, 2023

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

21.6 x 14.9 cm

Artist’s Collection

Price: $550

Now is the nightfall in the land of Gaza. Although it seems quite late now, but the simurgh is still trying to find a way out, flying over the bombardment that continuously happens at night as well. The flowers in front and on it symbolize the children that are no more, but it might still be hiding the ones still alive, but time will tell.

Below the creature you can still see some flowers growing, or drowning in the red waves and the gas clouds that the simurgh is trying to escape from. I have used purple to depict night time, and blue to depict the sky. The red clouds that were within the ovals in Gaza 2023-3, are now outside the oval and surrounding it. For the inside I have used mostly red and yellow showing blood and death due to bombardment.

The words used here translate to: ‘Their appointment time is the morning. Is the morning not near?” Taken from Surah Hud 81 (The Quran)

Welcome Home! But Close Your Eyes, Feb 2025

The Three Wise Monkeys series #1. See No Evil

Tea-wash, watercolour, gold leaf, gold ink & black ink, and archival ink pens on wasli and brown paper

Prints for Sale!

About the artwork:

This painting is done on wasli paper and brown paper. The central figure inspired by the ''Three Wise Monkeys'' has a monkey (representing the world leaders) sitting on a globe (representing the world). The brown paper images represent the atrocities going on in Gaza, Palestine. The monkey has his eyes covered by his hand portraying ''see no evil.''

A Diary Of A Holocaust; OH, The Voices We Won't Hear, June 2025

The Three Wise Monkeys series #2. Hear No Evil

Tea-wash, watercolour, gold leaf, gold & silver shimmer paint, black ink, and archival ink pens on wasli and brown paper

Prints for Sale!

About the artwork:

This painting is done on wasli paper and brown paper. The central figure inspired by the ''Three Wise Monkeys'' has a monkey (representing the world leaders) sitting on a globe (representing the world). The brown paper has the words by the Palestinians and their friends from around the world. The monkey has his ears covered by his hand portraying ''hear no evil.''

Look Around! But Utter No Sound. June 2025

The Three Wise Monkeys series #3. Speak No Evil

Tea-wash, watercolour, gold leaf, gold ink & black ink, and archival ink pens on wasli and brown paper

Prints for Sale!

About the artwork:

This painting is done on wasli paper and brown paper. The central figure inspired by the ''Three Wise Monkeys'' has a monkey (representing the world leaders) sitting on a globe (representing the world). The brown paper images represent the atrocities going on in Gaza, Palestine. The monkey has his mouth covered by his hand portraying ''speak no evil.''