Fa

ف

This was done as a gift for a colleague that I love like a sister (from another mother).

She has so many great qualities about herself, I see her like an undiscovered star. She has the potential to shine so bright and blind everyone in her path. I only wish greatness for her. She deserves no less.

Also, I was excited about trying out the new glow-in-the-dark paint that I'd just bought. I charged it overnight and it really did glow in the dark. Super chuffed that she appreciated it.

Nun

ن

I painted this for a dear friend who just celebrated her birthday. She is quite a number of years more senior than me, but she is so young at heart and so full of life. Sometimes I find it hard to believe that we aren't in the same age bracket.

I'm not saying she is old. I'm just saying she is old(er) than me. Don't kill me, ن . I love you ;)

RARA

RARA

A friend wanted me to paint something with her daughter's name on it. She goes by her nickname, Rara. 

Like me, she too enjoys the water and is fascinated by mermaids. I recently bought my own tail and I'm obsessed with it. 

My tail sans monofin

Seriously. -SOLD

Mati itu pasti

Mati itu pasti

My uncle wanted me to make him this piece. With that exact caption. He wanted it as a reminder of death. It is the most morbid piece I've ever had to come up with. He also wanted me to paint a tombstone in the middle. I wasn't happy about that. 

But he was. -SOLD

DELA

DELA

A friend commissioned me to do this for her. 

I chose different types of flowers for each alphabet.

د for Dahlias 
ي  for Ylang ylang
ل  for Lillies 
ا   for Asters

She's pretty pleased. -SOLD

Wow life is...AMAZING

و  life is....AMAZING

Isn't it? -SOLD

Wow, someone needs a Happy Meal.

و ، someone needs a Happy Meal

Get it?

Wow (و ) someone needs a Happy Meal.  Get it? Get it?

So you get to work on a Monday morning, ready to start a new week. But a colleague who has a permanent BRF (Google that up, for the uninitiated), is super cranky and sending out bad vibes. 

Shove this in her face and hope she gets the hint. -SOLD

#YOLO

#YOLO

YOLO: You only live once. 

This is a pop-culture reference and as one can easily guess, I was hopped up on the Keeping Up With The Kardashians weekend marathon.

Kim and Khloe were in Miami and bought all kinds of YOLO merchandise. And Kourtney won't stop repeating YOLO. 

It was so annoying but I couldn't stop repeating it myself. Oh, the shame I felt everytime I said YOLO to someone. 

I just had to get it out of my system, so I painted this. It's out. -SOLD

Keep calm and be awesome

Keep calm and be awesome

The wallpaper of my work desktop says "Keep calm and Cast a Patronus". I suppose it's a cooler way of saying keep calm and read a doa. But patronuses are way better because you get to curse people and turn them into stuff.

Keep Calm and Be Awesome came about because really, what is better than being awesome? How is eating cupcakes/buy handbags/carry on/eat chocolates/pretend everything's ok any better than being awesome? I rest my case.

Available in white (SOLD) and black.

Don't worry, be happy!

Dont worry, be happy

I was feeling cheeky when I came up with this one. I'd come home from work in the evening, I was tired but I remember feeling happy. And when I'm happy, I usually find myself cooking in the kitchen.

I got out of my work clothes, got into the shower, donned a robe, put on some music and started cooking. Bob Marley came on and I felt that the moment felt so apt that I played "Don't worry, be happy" on a loop.

After dinner, I got started on this. I suppose you can guess why I chose the rasta colours. Also, if you try reading this phonetically, you will sound like a Jamaican too. Dont wah-ree, be haa-py!

Loves it!

This storm will pass

This storm will pass

If you look closely, you will see the uneven texture on half the canvas. That's meant to represent the storm. We're all faced with challenges everyday, no matter big or small. But like all storms, it passes. 

So everytime you're stuck in a rut, just remember that it'll get better. You just have to persevere and give it your best. 

The 'storm' is made using melted crayons. -SOLD

My lover asks me

My lover asks me  -Nizar Qabbani

Nizar Qabbani is one of my favourites poets. He was a Syrian diplomat, poet and publisher.

This poem in particular is very dear to my heart. I love its simplicity and the emotions that it stirs in me. This poem proves to me that you don't have to be in love, to feel love. Love is all around you in many different forms. If you can open yourself to accept that, then love is what you will feel.

Translated:
My lover asks me:
"What is the difference between me and the sky?"
The difference, my love,
Is that when you laugh,
I forget about the sky.

Again, I mixed acrylic with sand (from Tekek in Tioman Island) for the 3D effect because I loved it so much from the first time.

Gendang gendut tali kecapi, kenyang perut suka hati

Gendang gendut tali kecapi, kenyang perut suka hati

I've always liked this malay poem, it's a pantun dua kerat. I don't know how to translate a pantun dua kerat. According to Google, it's poem two cut. Which is absolute bollocks, of course. 

"Gendang gendut tali kecapi, kenyang perut suka hati" I can loosely translate it to "a full belly makes the heart sing". But I decided to let Google humour me (again) and this is what it translated to:  Tubby drums harp strings, full belly like heart. Hilarious! - SOLD

Carcinoma in situ

Carcinoma in situ

I had recently learnt that a friend of mine was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins lymphoma. He was diagnosed at 32, and thankfully at an early stage. One would normally hear stories about how a cancer patient suffers from depression and often find themselves in a weakened state. But I hear the exact opposite from my friend. He's strong, vivacous, often happy and so full of life.

He inspired me to come up with this piece. His colourful life is marred by the disease, but he has not allowed for it to take over his life and define him. He takes charge of his life, unwilling it to bring his spirits down.

Cancers are often known to spread and consume you, but with my friend's outlook on life, it is carcinoma in situ. This is for you, B!

Subhanallah, Alhamdulillah, Allahuakbar

Subhanallah, Alhamdulillah, Allahuakbar

A friend commissioned these pieces. She'd wanted them for her home. 

It is unfortunate that I don't have a better image of this. This was not the right instagram filter to choose. It doesn't do the paintings any justice. I didn't know any better. 

The story behind this was that my friend who is a stay at home mom, relies on her husband for pocket money. She had saved up for this, and had to figure out a way to smuggle the paintings into the house and display it at home without her husband noticing (making a fuss). 

I was too scared to follow up with her post-delivery. -SOLD

Eat, play, love

Eat, play, love الطعام ، العب ، الحب

Three of my favourite things! If I had to name four things, I'd include work. But I don't know how long I'd enjoy work, so let's leave it at three things. -SOLD

Yom asal, yom basal (one day honey, one day onion!)

Yom asal, yom basal   يوم عسل، يوم  بصل

This was probably the first kufi art I tried out on canvas. The idea was inspired by a colleague I had worked with, and she spoke fluent Arabic. From what she had taught me, I understand that the Arabs have a saying equivalent to the English "You win some, you lose some." Loosely translated, "Yom asal, yom basal" means honey days, onion days. Or, one day honey, one day onion! I think it's cute!