For many Muslims, Quran manuscripts are familiar objects woven into daily life. I started learning Quranic Arabic at age six, surrounded by mass-produced printed Qurans whose scripts I never questioned. Encountering the British Library’s Or. 2165 (fig. 1), an early Hijazi manuscript from the 8th century CE and often described as one of the oldest surviving Qurans (Dutton 2004), felt both extraordinary and deeply personal.

Drawing as a means of self-expression has been part of my life for as long as I can remember, though it has taken many outward forms over the years. For over a decade and a half, I worked in clothing and printed textile design, creating for commercial retail and my own personal brand. While this period was formative, the demands of producing collections for constant consumption at times began to curb my creativity. Eventually, there was a pause, a period in which I stepped away from designing...

Since September 2024, I have taken a step back from social media. This was an intentional decision, made so that I could focus on my MA, create distance from constant visibility, and reflect more deeply on my life and how I want to shape its next phase.