Rimshah Ahmed | Threads of Resilience, Threads of Faith

Rimshah Ahmed is a Kashmiri-Canadian mixed-media visual artist whose creative practice spans Islamic calligraphy, traditional Islamic art, photography, and graphic design. Her work layers ink, paint, texture, and digital elements to build compositions that celebrate sacred geometry, Qur’anic verses, and the flowing beauty of Arabic script. Through both traditional and modern techniques, she explores spirituality, identity, and the relationship between the seen and unseen.

In addition to her visual arts practice, Rimshah is an award-winning inspirational speaker and spoken word poet. She has performed on stages from TEDx to international conferences, using the power of voice and storytelling to spark dialogue on resilience, spirituality, and the human experience. This dual path as both artist and speaker informs her creative approach, where visual and verbal expression intertwine to invite reflection and connection.

Her mission is to honor the depth of Islamic artistic heritage while expanding its expression through contemporary media. Whether through brushstrokes, lens, design, or words, Rimshah’s work creates spaces of beauty and contemplation that inspire hearts and minds alike.

This piece weaves together two sacred spaces, Hazratbal Dargah in Kashmir and a mosque within the Al Aqsa compound in Palestine, uniting them on a single canvas. Beneath Al Aqsa, the Palestinian flag is adorned with tatreez embroidery patterns, echoing generations of resilience stitched through needle and thread. Beneath Hazratbal, Kashmiri needlework motifs mirror that same spirit of preservation, identity, and devotion. The fiery background of red, orange, and yellow reflects the ongoing violence and genocide that both regions endure, yet within it the sacred sites stand as symbols of enduring faith. By pairing architecture, craft, and color, the work speaks to the intertwined struggles of Palestine and Kashmir, and the unbroken threads of culture and spirituality that continue to bind their people together.