portfolio
THE SEED COLLECTOR
Description - Handmade watercolour, including Afghan Lapis Lazuli and malachite, 24k shell gold on handmade Indian wasli paper
Price on enquiry
garden of union
2023
- sold
Hand ground pigment, including malachite and lapis lazuli, with 24k gold leaf, on wasli (hemp) paper
CYPRESS AND BLOSSOM 2023
Hand ground pigment, including malachite and lapis lazuli, with 24k gold leaf, on wasli (hemp) paper
A depiction of masculine and feminine seen in unison.
GOLD DUST 2021 - SOLD
Exhibiting at the Aga Khan Centre Gallery as part of The Quran: Form, Feeling and Frangrance, curated by Esen Kaya 2023
Hand ground pigment, 24k gold leaf, pink Indian rubies on wasli (hemp) paper
GARDEN OF GRACE 2021 - SOLD
A glimpse of spiralling golden vines climbing within an arch, where we see that birds are free to soar and be nourished by the essence of the Creator. Painted using natural pigments and genuine gold.
SOLACE, 2020
Exhibited in Carpet Pages III : Pixels 2020. Curated by Vaishali Prazmari and Southampton City Art Gallery, Manifesting The Unseen 2021 curated by Nadia Mirza.
Handmade pigments; Lapis Lazuli and Azurite, 24k genuine Gold leaf and Palladium on handmade wasli paper.
A sole bird is seen emerging from a place of turbulent waves and gathering clouds. Wings spread out she searches for peace and breaks free from the uncertainty and volatility of the skies and sea, above and beneath her. The golden light spreads warmth over her wings and enlightens/comforts her from within. The doors to another world are open where she finds solace in her newly found peace.
NAFS, 2020 - SOLD
Exhibiting at the Aga Khan Centre Gallery as part of The Quran: Form, Feeling and Frangrance, curated by Esen Kaya, 2023.
Hand-ground pigment, gum arabic and 24k gold leaf on handmade wasli paper.
The arabic word ‘Nafs’ can be described quite literally as ‘self’ and has further been translated as the ego, psyche or soul. One could also describe it as “the little voice in our head”.
As humans we are in constant conversation with ourselves, we are at times in agreement or conflicted with the thoughts that fill our minds.
This piece of work seeks to explore the places we go mentally and aims to make us more conscious of our Nafs. It also leads us to question how it was formed and how it makes us who we are.
freedom box, 2020 - sold
Hand-ground pigment, gum arabic and 24k gold leaf on handmade wasli paper.
Inspired by the story of a Black slave called Henry Brown and his freedom story. This work raised £500 for the BLM cause which was donated to www.runnymedetrust.org, UK’s leading independant race equality research group.
GARDEN OF REFLECTION, 2018
Hand-ground pigment, gum arabic and 24k gold leaf on handmade wasli paper.
Wazir Khan Mosque of Old Lahore boasts a vast range of stylized florals which adorns its tiles and fresco work. Taking inspiration from the same walls and ceilings, Mobeen envisages the return of the flowers and trees to their gardens of origin. The concept aims to capture a feeling of completeness, a journey back to the beginning, the closing of the circle.
A rich colourful garden scene evokes visions of Paradise which awaits the return of the Mu’mineen (the faithful). Framed within an archway we visualise the entire structure and gardens beyond, a reflection of mankind’s search within themselves and contemplation of their place in existence.
Reunion , 2018 - sold
Hand-ground pigment, gum arabic and 24k gold leaf on handmade wasli paper.
This diptych is a prelude to the artist’s piece Garden of Reflection.
It depicts two birds that are searching for one another, awaiting the promised reunion. The golden sun shines down on the birds as a symbol of light and hope. They fly from tree to tree in search of one another so they can join and rest together in the Gardens of Paradise. They knew each other once upon a time, they lost each other, but under the Light they will be reunited as promised by their Creator. The Noor (light) of God will shine over them, there will be peace, there will be love, and there will be an eternity together.
Dome of the rock, 2017 - sold
24k shell gold and watercolour on hot press paper.
The magnificent Dome of the Rock from Jerusalem, fused with a backdrop featuring a famous Moroccan ‘jali’ style geometric pattern.
The return 2017
24k shell gold and watercolour on hot press paper.
A geometric pattern from the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem enclosed in a golden hexagon. The central star is apinted in 24k gold.
ILLUMINATE, 2016 - sold
Inspired by Turkish islimi patterns.
24k gold, gouache on hot press paper.
‘Illuminate’ was one of the first Illumination paintings I completed. The spiralling floral patterns are most commonly known as islimi or tezhip. ‘Illuminate’ was inspired by my trip to Istanbul, where I witnessed endless spiralling designs of similar nature. A lot of the beautiful Quran Folios were decorated in extravagantly detailed patterns and I wanted to take a piece of that away with me. The way I did that was to recreate it in something that would take me through the entire process from design to colour.
I thoroughly enjoyed this painting and parting with it was hard. It’s now in a beautiful home all the way in America!
PERPETUAL, 2016 - sold
Inspired by Mamluk Qurans.
24k shell gold, malachite and gouache on handmade banana paper.
‘Perpetual’ was one of the first Illumination paintings I completed. The central pattern extends out and is framed within dazzling golden and coloured borders. Inspired by the Mamluk Qurans, the pattern is shown to have the possibility of continuing beyond it’s borders, and therefore communicates the endless repeating form of a geometric pattern. The possibility of repetition is infinite and therefore symbolises the eternal existence of the Creator of all creation. The central point of this geometry is to signify that the Creator is at the centre of everything and the pattern which extends from this point is a representation of how all of creation comes from Him alone.
The original painting was donated in 2019 to Europe’s first eco-friendly mosque, Cambridge Central Mosque .
taj mahal, 2016
Watercolour on hot press paper.
The grand Taj Mahal of India against a striking blue backdrop laced with a famous ‘jali’ pattern.
