Original Painting

Naqaab

Paintings, Videsh
Dubai

The desert is not merely a landscape of sand and sky; it is a master of magnificent illusion, a quiet keeper of forgotten beauty. This painting captures that powerful, enchanting mystery. The desert’s vast, ever-shifting dunes act as a naqaab, a sublime veil that conceals as much as it reveals. Amidst this sweeping silence, the earth decides to unveil not an entire face, but a single, profound eye, a piercing gaze of a beauty that was once lost to the sands.
But the unveiling is a sacred and dangerous game. To peer behind the desert’s veil is to play a game of roulette, for the promised treasure may be nothing more than a mesmerizing mirage. It’s a tantalizing invitation that can lead not to discovery, but to dissolution, a final act of the desert consuming you without a trace.

Dimension

15"(W) x 11.5"(H)

Medium

Acrylic on Canvas

Year Created

May 2022

Framing

Ready to Hang

Cultural Details

In many cultures, the desert is seen as a place of profound spiritual trial and revelation. It is where prophets go to seek truth, and where the mundane world falls away to reveal a higher reality. The naqaab is not just a piece of clothing; it’s a powerful symbol of sacredness and the hidden nature of divine knowledge.
This artwork weaves these ideas together, casting the desert itself as a holy and enigmatic force. The glimpse of the eye behind the veil symbolizes how spiritual truths are rarely given away easily. Instead, they require a journey and a willingness to face the illusions (miraj) of the world. The painting’s final warning—that the desert can consume you—serves as a reminder that the pursuit of truth can be a spiritual test, one that requires not just curiosity, but profound respect for the mysteries that lie just beyond our reach.

Artist's Personal Note

“There’s a silence in the desert that isn’t empty; it’s waiting. It whispers of things buried and secrets held for centuries. I’ve always been drawn to that powerful stillness, a feeling that you’re on the edge of a great reveal. That’s what this painting is—the moment before the curtain lifts.
The idea of the naqaab came to me because the desert behaves exactly like one. It tempts you, shows you a glimmer of something beautiful, and then challenges you to see if you can truly hold onto it. I painted that single eye because that’s all the desert offers sometimes—a fleeting glimpse, a hint of something deeper. It’s a work that asks you to trust your intuition and be brave enough to play the desert’s game.”