In this ongoing series of works started in 2021, my focus is on selfhood and the journey of individuation.

I chose to depict women who are captured in a time of decision-making; either to surrender to the norms of womanhood and beauty imposed subtly by cultures and media, or to rely on themselves and take the path of self-authorisation. Women in my paintings are quintessential; they appear naked with their hair loose in the wind looking out into a mysterious garden. They are mindful, decisive yet anxious about what to choose. They are aware that being true to themselves requires a harsh analysis of the self, hence facing their inner light and dark side simultaneously which could be painful yet necessary as if pruning plants. A task to be done caringly and compassionately. It is a challenging time that feels like an eternity. The object in the women’s hand is a gardening tool with a sharp blade turned into comb teeth to commit to change and to create order, beauty and uniqueness.

Texts written backwards (some in English some in Persian) are mantra-like phrases which encourage transformation to remember through the process of individuation.