In matters of wisdom, "second sight" has always been considered more accurate, or "visionary", than the bodily eyes.

Artist: Raha

ABOUT THE ARTIST RAHA: I have childhood memories of people telling me that I am an exceptionally talented artist, es-pecially when I drew portraits in pencil. However, I had a bad habit of comparing myself to oth-er established artists and never had the confidence to pursue and develop my artistic skills until just recently. While the lockdown in March 2020 put a hold on most people’s lives, for me it turned out to be a huge turning point. I took classes about the history of modern art from the Museum of Modern Art in New York. That was just the start. I spent hundreds of hours watching tutorials, practicing, and reading all about art. This journey led me to develop my own style. While getting to where I am now involved a lot of work, the most important aspect of my jour-ney was to learn to mirror my feelings in my art, not just in my words. These feelings can be triggered by nature, books, movies, songs, people, or just about anything that stands out to me at the moment. You may be able to spot some aspects of nature in my abstract works. I like to think it is brought about by being born in Bishkek, a beautiful place in the Kyrgyz Republic - a place surrounded by soaring mountains and endless blue skies and lakes. I also take inspiration from regional artists like Mohammed Al Mansoori and global superstars like Piet Mondrain and Van Gogh do too. I have been with luxury fashion brands in the GCC for over 12 years. As a new and emerging artist, I feel like my art career is still in its infancy, especially as I continue to discover and learn every day. To help me grow further, I read, I research, I connect with likeminded people who inspire me and push me to do more. As I learn more and find myself through art, I am grateful for the gift of peace, freedom, and solitude that it gives me.