ARTIST STATEMENT

My artistic vision centres on uncovering the lesser-seen sides of the world — especially cultures and countries often overlooked or misunderstood — through painting. In recent years, travel has become fundamental to both my creative practice and personal growth. It allows me to connect deeply with unfamiliar places and to witness humanity in its many forms. While mainstream narratives often present a limited or politicised view of certain regions, firsthand experience reveals complexity, beauty, and resilience. My work focuses on the cultural and social dimensions of Middle Eastern countries, drawing from my travels to Iran, Afghanistan, and beyond. Through observation and immersion, translate these encounters into visual narratives that challenge preconceptions. My process is adaptable and intuitive. On the road, I work with ink and watercolour, capturing fleeting moments and architectural forms in sketchbooks. In the studio, these studies evolve into larger mixed-media works. I am also experimenting with projection mapping, merging traditional painting with digital media to create immersive experiences. Ultimately, my work seeks to build bridges — between cultures, between history and the present, and between tradition and innovation. I hope to create spaces for reflection, connection, and renewed understanding through art.

ABOUT THE WORK

At the heart of each piece is a commitment to bearing witness. Working across oil, acrylic, watercolour, ink, and charcoal, I document the everyday lives, traditional rituals, and architectural heritage of regions that history has too often reduced to headlines. Each work is a visual archive — a record of resilience and quiet beauty found amid adversity. My sketchbooks serve as the first language: rapid studies made on location, in the markets, doorways, and ruins of Iran, Afghanistan, and beyond. Back in the studio, these raw observations are translated into larger compositions that hold the tension between documentation and interpretation, between the specific and the universal. I am currently expanding this practice into new territory, exploring projection mapping as a means of layering the digital onto the painted surface — creating immersive environments where a canvas becomes a living archive, animated by light and memory. This ongoing research into hybrid forms reflects a deeper inquiry: what role can art play in social transformation, particularly in zones of conflict and cultural erasure?

EXHIBITIONS

2024
Layla E Hunar Solo
Tehran, Iran
2024
Layla E Hunar Solo
Iran Cultural House, New Delhi
2023
The Afghan Journal Solo
New Delhi, India
2023
Réveil: Paysage Afghan solo
Kabul, Afghanistan
2022
PAUSE Solo
Paris, France
2022
Monaco Art Fair
Monaco
2022
75th Anniversary of Indian Independence
Mauritius
2022
MONAT Art Gallery
Madrid, Spain
2021
Secours for Afghan
Mauritius
2019
Mauritius International Art Fair
Mauritius
2018
Kochi Biennale
Kerala, India
2018
Khairagarh Ink Festival
Chhattisgarh, India
2018
Crash: 9/11 and its Aftermath
Khairagarh, India
2017
International Kala Mela
New Delhi, India
2016
Duo Exhibition, Belle Village
Mauritius
2016
Group Watercolour Exhibition
Khairagarh, India
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Permanent Exhibition
Pointe aux Cannoniers, Mauritius