Title: Dream Walk
Size: 22.5x29.5 inches
Technique: Watercolor on paper

Description:
On Valentine’s Day 2021, I had a vision of love and self-care, which I’ve depicted as the woman in this painting and in “Seek Thirst,” and in other forms in several of my other paintings. The dreamy landscape in the background suggests a Gar-den-of-Paradise vision I had for this character, where she could peacefully walk and dream. The body is not representing an idealized female body like we see on social media or fashion magazines. Her body portrays the pains and natural beauties of the female character. The natural process of aging is manifested by depicting the imperfections of the body. The face, however, represents youth, and the fresh energies of a young girl, who is capable of chasing and forming her dreams with no limits. The eye-cover gives this character the American “vibes” of a superhero and, at the same time, the repressive “vibes” of the Muslim women who must cover their face/ eyes, in effect celebrating the different dynamics of a female character living in the modern world. Fertility and birth are other power-ful features suggested by this character. Fertility, growth, and reproduction are “superpowers” associated with femininity. I had just got the great news of preg-nancy when I painted this character. I was expressing some of my own feelings during this journey, as portrayed by the growth of the flowers from her body while walking on the dreamy path of her world. The necklace is a traditionally associated with female decoration, and here it symbolizes the ancient wisdom passed down across the generations through an unbroken maternal line. It is the only clothing worn by her, evoking the power and presence of the ancient teachings.