ABOUT

I am Shumaiya Khan, (b. 1990, UK), artist and writer.

My practice hinges on themes of spirituality via ceremonies, shamanism, and mysticism, feminine origin ancient mythology, and Jungian analysis, particularly in the way of The Great Mother Archetype who destroys to rebuild. These explorations consider my past self’s journey within the spiritual realm and how an eventual descent into the underworlds and eventual ascension has affected my everyday view of the current socio-political landscape the feminine I am finds herself in. My paintings and sculptures honour the wide spectrum of emotions and their subsequent actions; which include but not limited to; rage, intuition, power, devotion and/or worship, lust, peace and joy. 

My works take on role of facilitator in introducing my audience to portals into the underworld, unknown and higher ascension realms. Context has since evolved further into considering Christian and Greek mythology, before venturing into current and ancient non-Judeo-Christian mythologies originating in Ancient Mesopotamia and Asia, such as, Izanami and Inanna (Ishtar) as well as animism. European mythologies may have influenced the society I see myself in despite the Sufi mystic faith I practice. England’s sensitivities and bias towards patriarchal gestures and suggestions on women’s autonomy surrounds me. Mythos and Islamic mysticism guides me in how I approach my works. The speed in which I paint, intentional brush marks mimicking living and breathing forestry and arteries. 

The physical presence of salt - an element native to our bodies - used in every painting; not only act as shamanic devices to be conduit via paintings, but to also curate full bodied, industrious and visceral texture in an aim to ground myself back into this waking world. Further, the very limited use of dehydrated blood in the form of pigment, anointed by oil to create a useable medium occurs to create ceremony and questions the existence of linear time as this blood once transient in nature, is now permanently fixed.

In addition, I primarily use materials such as oil paint, pigment sticks, charcoal, across canvas, cotton muslin and paper. The form in which the paintings take embody something which is environmental or entity, bodily height and shaped. Increasingly, I’m playing with loose, unstretched canvas which enables the painting to form an additional persona with its audience as an object. The edges of the painting are rarely defined and often share the same floor with us humans, meaning confrontation to the painting is inevitable. My sculptures are made from either challenging, highly prized or poisonous materials such as lead or porcelain, taking the form of fruit. Thus, relaying back to fairytale, religious and political ideologies.

The physical nature of my works today come with suggested motifs across intense scenes found in the natural world, be it cosmic weather or physical fruits, forests and natural organic materials or minerals cultivated from intense natural flora and fauna. Natural migration of material in nature such as volcanoes erupting, metal heating under the earth’s core, dense forests and astronomy all plays key parts in illustrating the atmospheres I paint. 

I have collectors in the States and South America to Australia.