Abeera Atique | A Prayer for my Parents

Abeera Atique is an internationally recognized artist, educator, and book illustrator whose work beautifully blends storytelling, culture, and compassion. With a career spanning over two decades, Abeera has exhibited her artwork in more than 40 countries across the globe and has received numerous awards for her contributions to the arts and education. Her paintings often reflect themes of humanity, identity, hope, and social awareness, inspired by her global experiences living and teaching in countries including Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Thailand, and Canada.
Abeera’s artistic journey extends beyond galleries and exhibitions. She has illustrated more than 28 children’s books, including the acclaimed What Made Them Famous series by New Zealand author Vargie Johnson and Lawrence of Arabia by British author Mark Chamberlain. Her artwork has also been featured in international educational conferences, where original pieces were auctioned to raise funds for charitable causes such as Habitat for Humanity and schools for underprivileged children.
As both an artist and educator, Abeera believes deeply in the power of creativity to inspire change, spark meaningful conversations, and connect people across cultures. Her work continues to touch audiences through its warmth, purpose, and emotional depth.

This artwork is inspired by a deeply meaningful Qur’anic prayer from Surah Ibrahim (14:41): “Our Lord, forgive me, my parents, and the believers on the Day the judgment will be established.”

This verse holds a personal and spiritual significance for me. I recite this prayer for my parents and for all believers, asking Allah for forgiveness and mercy on the Day of Qiyamah. Through this work, I hope to express the love, gratitude, and spiritual connection I feel toward my parents, while extending that prayer to the wider community of believers. My artistic practice is deeply influenced by faith, spirituality, Islamic heritage, and the expressive possibilities of Arabic calligraphy. I am interested in transforming sacred words into visual experiences that invite contemplation and emotional connection. The artwork is created using a copper etching plate combined with acrylic sheets and oil paints. I use texture, layering, metallic surfaces, colour, and calligraphic forms to create a sense of depth and reflection. The physical process of building the surface mirrors the spiritual process of prayer—layer by layer, intention becomes form.

I hope viewers experience the work not simply as calligraphy, but as a visual prayer: a reminder of our parents, our faith, our mortality, and the importance of seeking forgiveness and mercy from Allah. My intention is that the artwork encourages each viewer to pause, reflect, and perhaps make this prayer for their own parents and for all believers.