I paint across many categories. I find sticking with one category too limiting and boring, and I actively confront the arrogance and pressure on artists to be boxed into one style. What’s the point of being an artist if you cannot be free to explore themes, styles, color palettes, and mediums?

Originally from Pakistan, my family moved to London, England, where I was born. We then moved to the U.S. I now live outside of Washington DC. As a first-generation immigrant to the U.S., raised in poverty, I use my art as an antidote to the harsh realities of life. My art is therefore a reflection of the beauty and whimsy that surrounds me. I am self-taught and began my artistic journey by being the odd kid sitting in the back of the class doodling caricatures of my classmates and teachers. I then moved on to velvet paint-by-numbers (remember those?), to where I am today.

I experiment with pen and ink, acrylics, watercolors, oil and soft pastels, and oil paints. I am probably more of an expressionist painter than anything else as I prefer my art to reflect my imagination upon the world.