Hafsa Murtaza is an undergraduate student at the University of Toronto, attending the Art and Art History program offered jointly with Sheridan College. She explores traditional painting and print media alongside unconventional watercolour monoprints, textile-based work and the use of natural materials. Hafsa bases her work on Islamic philosophy, manifesting Islamic ideologies in her practice.

ARTIST’S STATEMENT

Amidst a Western Neoliberal, globalized society, individuals lose a sense of individuality and attachment to Place. Islamic philosophy proposes a nuanced and effective solution to restore a strong sense of Identity by bringing to light the interconnections between humans, the environment and the Divine. I reference Mughal manuscript paintings, Quranic verses that personify humans as the land, and cultural textile motifs in my multi-media work to explore how an Islamic way of life unites diverse cultures, traditions and places. This exploration led me to critique colonial and post-colonial ideologies that seek to divide borders, people and cultures. My paintings decolonize representations of marginal identities by critiquing colonial species illustrations and colonial fantasy stories of the Mughal Empire, using contorted maps, UV filters and double-portraits to complicate how we see the world.