Heritage in Bloom
My art lives at the intersection of cultures, identities, and memory. As a Cabin crew for thirteen years navigating life in Saudi Arabia and across the globe, I’ve come to understand people not just through language, but through expression, skin tone, gesture, and silence. My paintings are a response to this. A visual archive of the quiet strength I’ve encountered in others. An experience that I can only learn through traveling and express through creating art.
In “Heritage in Bloom,” I explore Saudi cultural motifs like Sadu, Al Ahsa, Al Roshan, Al Qatt Al Asiri, and Najdi doors through the lens of femininity. These portraits are not ethnographic, they are intimate renderings of identity in transition, rooted in place but reaching beyond borders. These women are real women, passengers, colleagues that I’ve encountered and made me inspired to create these artworks.
Painting these pieces allows me to slow down and honor these narratives layer by layer, much like how travel taught me to observe, absorb, and appreciate differences without rushing to define them.
Welcome to the
kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Sadu
Sadu - Northern Region
Oil on wooden panel 40 x 50 cm
Inspired by the Sadu textile and the quiet strength of my passengers from Northern Saudi Arabia, this portrait honors stories woven in silence. Each thread is memory, lived, not just worn.
Still but steady, she reflects the strength of women who carry identity like armor. Not loud, but lasting.
Al Roshan
Al Roshan - Western Region
Oil on wooden panel 40 x 50 cm
Inspired by the quiet strength of my passengers from the West, the architectural grace of Al Roshan in Old Jeddah and a touch of Taif’s roses, this portrait honors women who carry stories behind windows watching, remembering, and enduring in silence and beauty.
Although unseen by choice, but always curious to see.
Najdi
Najdi - Central Region
Oil on wooden panel 40 x 50 cm
Inspired by the ornate doors of Najdi, this portrait honors the women of Saudi Arabia once seen as guardians of tradition, now stepping forward with recognition and strength. The patterns echo stories of identity, protection, and quiet resilience.
She stands, both sheltered and seen, welcoming change while rooted in grace.
Al Ahsa
Al Ahsa - Eastern Region
Oil on wooden panel 40 x 50 cm
Inspired by the elegance of Al Ahsa and the silent strength of Asian Muslim women who journey to Saudi Arabia, this portrait blends tradition and resilience. The golden embroidery echoes the ceremonial Bisht, an emblem of dignity passed down quietly, yet powerfully.
Al Qatt Al Asiri
Al Qatt Al Asiri - Southern Region
Oil on wooden panel 40 x 50 cm
Inspired by the bold spirit of my beautiful passengers of color who journey through Saudi Arabia, this portrait weaves their grace with the vibrant patterns of Al Qatt Al Asiri. It is a quiet tribute to women who carry strength and color wherever they go.