nafs al lawwamah

<div data-content-type="html" data-appearance="default" data-element="main"> <p><em>Beyond al Nafs</em>is a painting collection, exploring the tension between individuality and collective belonging through a sufi and indigenous perspective. The title refers to the nafs in Islam — the ego or self — which in Sufi thought must be transcended to move closer to the Divine.</p> <p>These works reflect on how hyper-individualism, rooted in Eurocentric ideals, disrupts our capacity for empathy, solidarity and shared responsibility. Through layered compositions in acrylics and oil pastels, I use organic forms and symbolic motifs to explore the inner depths of a soul, the vulnerability of facing one’s inner self and the transformative potential of kinship, memory, earth-human connection and spiritual trust. <br /><br /></p> </div>