Faryal Ahmad is a contemporary fine artist creating atmospheric landscapes and seascapes. For several years she worked in the world of fashion but when a colleague suddenly died it created a ripple effect in her life and she began to question her mortality and purpose. That’s when she decided to follow her dream of becoming a professional artist.
She left her career in fashion and began painting in her newly formed studio, but it wasn’t for long. By December of the same year she was struck by crippling Rheumatoid Arthritis. It took nine months of treatment, medication, resting and patience before she was able to hold a paint brush again.
This time she found herself painting in her studio with a new sense of gratitude not only for the gift but also the ability. Faryal set herself a hard task: to paint a flower in great detail, detail that would require a strong, steady hand and a good grip. It was a great challenge but she accomplished it.
A a Muslim woman Faryal wanted to practice her love of art, but not in the typical Islamic Art style. Islamic art is generally mosaic art, created using tiles and placed in a methodical, mathematical pattern. Instead Faryal chooses to combine her love for painting and colour with images captured in her dreams and developed by her imagination. With music playing whilst she paints the image changes further as it gradually unfolds onto the canvas. This means that although often inspired by real places each piece is completely original, she calls these “dreamscapes".