MALDHA MOHAMED

“My work is a medley of portraiture, anatomy, figures and surroundings presented in a contemporary manner. I enjoy expressing the many psychological elements of human psyche and intensity through my subjects. My art is a visceral representation of how I view behaviour and emotion, particularly in regard to my own dreams and what surrounds me. I aim for the viewer to think beyond the canvas to depict their own thoughts and feelings about the work. The ambience in my subject matter is often presented in a figmental manner; with hints of surrealism leaving my paintings open for many interpretations.”

Maldha Mohamed is a self-taught artist from the archipelago of the Maldives islands. Her body of art focuses on giving a physical embodiment to the thoughts and feelings that dwell inside her psyche and often depict women in dream-like manners. Maldha has been dabbling in fine arts ever since the age of 3, but has been professionally pursuing a career in art since the age of 15. Now at the age of 21, Maldha's work has been featured at many notable exhibitions such as at Galerie Berlin Baku - Germany, as well as many solo exhibits - the most notable being her 2019 exhibit at Jen: Shangri-La hotel Maldives titled 'Hiyala - An insight into Maldivian Folklore'.

She has also taken part in numerous group exhibits at venues such as multinational resorts and her work is often shared on social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and Tumblr. Her main medium to work with include oil paints, impasto and other textural elements as creating texture is the most enjoyable part for her when creating a new body of work. While she has yet to pursue a formal education in art, she has currently obtained a diploma level qualification in professional design.

At first glance, her artwork would seem to portray her subjects in a surreal and ethereal manner. However, upon further inspection one would begin to notice the textures, the hues, colors and the depth, all skillfully conjured up by her play on lighting and angles which are what brings her paintings to life. It's this attention in finishing and detailing which leaves the final artwork with so much room for interpretation. Maldha's work has been heavily influenced by surrealism and realism, but her main concepts are derived from dreams and based on the observation of everyday human behaviour.