"The underlying theme throughout my work is the construct of identity, especially towards women from ethnic minority backgrounds who were raised in a Western environment. This theme draws upon my own life experience as an Arabic woman being raised in the UK. Identity shapes who we are, our values, how we see ourselves and how others see and identify with us. This is where the spectrum of colour comes into play with my portraits. Colour represents the complexities of identity, and symbolises how each subject beholds various identities, all shaped by the nature of their environment.

Working with oil allows me to emphasise layers and rework textured surfaces as a way to convey an emotional connection with the subject and viewer. While I am in the studio, I like to experiment with thick layers of colour using palette knives to impasto my work. This gives the illusion of depth and volume on the canvas while capturing layers of emotion in an unconscious way."