Giclée on paper

Signed and numbered on the front.

In my digital collage, "The Amazing Asma and Her Dashing Deer," I channel the spirit of Asma Bint Shihab al-Sulayhiyya, a powerful Yemeni queen who defied stereotypes by governing with her face uncovered.

Surrounding Asma, miniature deer dance in lockstep on the wing of a bright pink plane — soaring through a sunset sky. Embodying the symbolism of Yaʽfūr in Islamic tradition. In myths and artistic motifs, deer often symbolise femininity and the fleeting passage of human life. Their graceful dance around Asma is a reminder of the transient nature of life and the enduring power of legacy.

And the name "Asma" connects the artwork to several influential Islamic women, not just Asma Bint Shihab al-Sulayhiyya. Women such as Aṣmāʼ bint Marwān, a 7th-century poet whole dared to express her thoughts in an era when women's voices were often silenced. Her poetry was a testament to her courage, her words a weapon against oppression. Or Asmāʾ bint Abī Bakr, a companion of the Prophet Muhammad, was a paragon of bravery and faith.