The Princess's Perch Sculpture

As an artist originally from Pakistan and now residing in Glasgow, Scotland, I find inspiration in the rich architectural heritage of the regions I have called home. My artistic journey is driven by a profound fascination with the ornate façades of old grand homes, mosques, and palaces found in the Islamicate civilisations of the Middle East, Central and South Asia, North Africa, Turkey, and the Iberia. These remarkable structures, with their intricate doors, windows, balconies, towers, and minarets, embody a sense of mystery and allure which I find myself to be inexplicably drawn towards. Since moving to Scotland in 2001, my artistic repertoire has expanded to encompass Scottish, British and European architecture leading me to discover remarkable confluences in architecture across time and regions. Drawing from my experiences and travels, I have crafted representations of renowned buildings such as the Templeton on the Green in Glasgow and the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba to name but two. Through my work I aim to capture the essence of these remarkable structures together with the intrigue of their ornate doorways and windows, inviting viewers to imagine living in the worlds that might lie beyond. Doors and windows are portals into the life and soul of a people, connecting as they do outer and inner worlds, public and private domains, and embodying notions of trade and worship, birth and transfiguration. I often recycle and re-imagine materials that have had previous, frequently utilitarian, functions. I like to think I am helping reincarnate them to life and love, albeit in a different form and context. It is my aspiration that my artwork act as a portal, inviting viewers to engage with and appreciate diverse artistic traditions and shifting realities and thus to enculturate a journey from the local to the general, from past to present to future and from the physical to the conceptual. My art is a testament to the transformative power of cultural exchange across time and regions and serves as a visual narrative of my personal journey as a Pakistani Pashtun woman living in Scotland.