Nafisa Sayed-Motiwala | Floral Motifs

Nafisa is a freelance visual artist, art historian, author, and educator based in Brampton with a doctorate degree in History of Art. “She uses a colorful palette to capture movement and life — making the brush dance and the colors sing. Everything is captured in the spontaneous dance and movement of the brush as it foretells a story”. She has exhibited globally in several group exhibitions in India, UAE, Qatar, the US, Canada, Lebanon, Brussels, Poland, Turkey, France, Singapore, and Ukraine.

Islamic architecture was known not only for its symmetry but also its elaborate ornamentation. The flowers depicted in the artworks are stylized representations found in Pietra Dura (or parchin Kari) ornamentation, and inlay technique using coloured stones, prominently featured Mughal architecture. The technique refers to the art of using precisely cut and fitted, highly polished colored stones, often semi-precious gems like lapis lazuli, carnelian, and turquoise to create elaborate images or patterns on a contrasting stone surface, most famously white marble. Parchin kari transformed plain surfaces into vibrant canvases, creating timeless and opulent designs, especially intricate floral motifs, which become e hallmarks of Mughal architecture. Flowers were a central decorative theme in Mughal art and architecture symbolizing paradise and beauty. The designs are often highly stylized, emphasising symmetry and intricate details rather than botanical accuracy. These “perpetual bloom” flowers symbiosed eternal beauty and the flora of paradise, particularly in structure Taj Mahal, built as mausoleum. While they are stylised floral patterns, they are often inspired by various flowers found in nature, such as lilies, irises or tulips intended to a specific botanical species. The design prominently features stylized flowers and foliage, characteristic of Mughal art and architecture. These designs are often used to decorate monumental buildings, with the Taj Mahal being a renowned example of this intricate inlay technique.