It all started with the thought of being able to buy my own lipstick one day. Life in New York with a toddler attached to my hip and a spouse who worked full time left me feeling extremely lonely. When people ask me if I enjoyed my time in New York, I tell them that even though I am extremely grateful for that opportunity and experience but being a primary parent and living without help really becomes challenging at times.
My source of comfort and relief were my watercolours. I do have a degree in law, and I did teach university students but after marriage came the move and this meant that I had to reinvent myself. My love for watercolours was short-lived too as my daughter wanted to paint all the walls of our apartment with them, hence I gently packed them away with the thought of returning to them one day.
Then came the pandemic. I moved to New York and we saw that period, that isolation, the difficulty of finding hope in the mundane. But the Covid era did push me into a beautiful new direction as this was the time my husband introduced me to an iPad and an Apple Pencil and this opened up doors for me in so many ways which I had not even imagined.
And just one day, I created my email address thinking- oh it’s nothing, I’m just learning to create passion projects but posting them on instagram started a journey for me where I was becoming discovered. It was a new beginning. As I started to take up new projects, my heart would do somersaults (it still does these out of gratitude every time I get new work) because I became a self taught illustrator, with a toddler completely dependent on me- I became someone once again.
Today, I create artwork for children’s books, editorial projects, branding, and personal commissions. Whether I’m illustrating a playful character or exploring themes of belonging and identity, my goal is always the same: to create work that feels honest, memorable, and full of heart.
In 2025, I was featured in Forbes alongside other illustrators, where I spoke about using illustration to tell meaningful stories and explore the experiences that shape us. It remains a reminder of the power creative work has to start conversations and build connections.
When I’m not drawing, you’ll usually find me surrounded by my two beautiful children, my books, writing on my Substack, sketching new ideas over a cup of chai, or finding inspiration in everyday life.
Thank you for visiting my little corner of the internet. I hope you find something here that makes you pause, smile, or see the world a little differently.
A Little More About Me
- Based in Pakistan
- Self-taught illustrator
- Children’s books, editorial illustration, branding & lettering
- Writer on Substack
- Featured in Forbes
- Firm believer that the best ideas often begin with a cup of chai
A Personal Note
“Stories have always been my favourite way of making sense of the world. Through illustration, I hope to create work that invites curiosity, comfort, and connection—one colourful story at a time.”