36X48"
Mixed media and silver leaf on canvas.

I feel I have a complex nature, having absorbed complexities from my Kashmiri heritage while having had to move from my native Pakistan to Montreal, which was at the time largely European influenced. Growing up in the west was paradoxical since I had no real connection with the South Asian culture my family had experienced and wanted us to be a part of. It was customary and strongly enforced to hear and communicate in Urdu, a language not familiar in my outer world surroundings. The outer world was also aghast by my “foreignness” as we lived in a predominantly Caucasian neighborhood. Additionally, the South Asian community
in Montreal wasn’t exactly a comfort zone either as we came from an upper class background but had to start “fresh” without having money, privilege in Canada.
Language for us was an undeniable precedence to master and consume since my father had a love for the written word, so I become fluent in Urdu, which I now consider a privilege. Having heard stories in my childhood about having Arabic and Persian ancestors who had settled in India, I am naturally and instinctively drawn
to the culture of the Middle East, especially Bedouin. My instinct lead me to pursue Middle eastern Raqs and teach it part time while creating calligraphy, and learning
henna, an art form originating in North Africa. The culture of South Asia also interests me and mostly I have learned to, since childhood, gradually disengage myself from it so I could comfortably immerse myself in the West, where I’ve been living since the age of four.
About my medium and technique; I love to experiment and let the paint flow, letting the shapes form as they come. I am drawn to contrast and texture, layering until I obtain the desired results. I follow no rules in my art, letting the paint guide me. This piece was done from a photograph of my side profile. It was compelling to use the
profile because I was blessed with a long, eastern nose which was a root cause of the other kids to notice and chide as is always the case with the unusual.