Maya Ahmed

“My work is inspired by feelings and experiences that can sometimes be difficult to put into words. I often start with an emotion or an idea and build a scene around it, using nature, animals and symbolism to tell the story in a subtle way. I mainly work with acrylic paint and texture, and I love combining softer, peaceful imagery with deeper meanings. Some pieces come from memories, change or moments in life, while others simply begin with a feeling I want to capture. I don’t want every painting to have one fixed meaning. Part of what I love about art is that someone can look at something I created for one reason and see a completely different part of themselves in it.”

My art is very much led by feeling. I love creating pieces that feel peaceful and beautiful at first, but have a little more meaning behind them the longer you look. A lot of my paintings are inspired by emotions, change, memories and the different stages we go through in life. I use nature, animals and small symbolic details to express those feelings without making the meaning too obvious — I like that everyone can look at the same painting and connect to it differently. I mainly work with acrylics and texture, creating pieces that have depth both visually and emotionally. More than anything, I want my art to make you feel something.