Artist Name: Maryam Fatima Naqvi
About Artist:
I’m thirteen, and I find inspiration in the world around me—small moments, emotions, and things people don’t always notice. Art is my way of expressing how I see and feel about the world. I love experimenting with different materials, such as sketches, textures, and layers, to make my ideas come to life. I enjoy creating pieces that make people stop and think. Sometimes my art feels light and free, other times it feels heavy, but it always means something to me. For me, art isn’t just about making something look nice, it’s about making people feel something.
Artist Statement:
This artwork shows how people unknowingly create the obstacles that hold them back. The bubbles blown by the girl symbolise innocence and freedom, but they turn into a heavy chain around her neck. This chain represents the structure of her life—built by her choices, habits, and pressures that sometimes trap her.
The background, made of torn paper, creates light and shadow, portraying hope and struggle. Pieces of text represent outside influences, while her closed eyes show that she doesn’t realise what’s happening until it’s too late.
I used simple materials to bring this idea to life. The girl and her hand are sketched, the chain is made from paper painted silver, and folded paper is used to lift the girl, adding depth. This shows how everyday things can tell a powerful story.
This piece makes us think: Do we create our own chains, and can we break free?
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This painting explores the subjective experience of time through a still life imbued with vibrant colour and tactile texture. A whimsical clock, its face playfully imprecise, anchors the composition, symbolising time’s fluid nature rather than its rigid measurement. Wilting flowers and a ripe apple suggest the ephemeral, while a solid vase and table offer a sense of grounding.
The impasto technique emphasises the physicality of the paint, creating a textured surface that invites touch and mirrors the layered nature of memory. Warm, earthy tones contrast with vibrant blues and oranges, reflecting the interplay between past and present, solidity and fleeting moments.
The clock’s simplified form and the slightly naive rendering of objects underscore the personal, emotional connection we have with time, how it stretches and compresses in our perception. This piece invites contemplation on our own relationship with time’s passage, finding beauty and showing the enduring presence of objects that hold our memories.
