21/05/2026
Weekly update on the painting process of this project.
This week, I began fully rendering the painting, taking it a step further from the underpainting stage. The more time I spend on this piece, the more I realise that the title of this work has to be ‘IBADAT’.
In the Ismaili tradition, Ibadat goes beyond ritual prayer. It reflects devotion, remembrance, spiritual discipline, and a lifelong state of connection with the Divine. It is about living with intention, balance, reflection, and sincerity in both the spiritual and worldly aspects of life.
I believe everyone has their own form of Ibadat. For some, it may exist through prayer and meditation. For others, through art, discipline, love, patience, service, or the quiet act of dedicating yourself fully to something greater than yourself.
The more I paint this work, the more I feel it speaks about that personal relationship between devotion and identity.
I’m hoping to complete this painting by the end of June for an art exhibition, and I’m also thinking of developing this into a series of paintings under the project title ‘IBADAT’.
Stay tuned for the weekly progress updates on this journey.