Shaira Ariz
My work begins where words end. I create abstract and mixed media paintings that explore texture, shadow, and the quiet tension between presence and absence. Using thick layers of paint, collage,…
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About Shaira Ariz
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Shaira Ariz, working under the name Shai, is a self-taught abstract and mixed media artist based in Karachi, Pakistan. Her practice is rooted in 12 years of dedicated work in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where she established her own studio, taught emerging artists, and exhibited in numerous group shows. Shai’s paintings emerge from the space where language fails. Through thick impasto, layered textures, and mixed media, she builds surfaces that hold shadow, depth, and silence. Each work is an invitation to pause, to look longer, and to feel what cannot be spoken. Her process is intuitive — guided by brush, color, and the material itself — allowing the canvas to become a site of contemplation and quiet dialogue. Nature remains her constant source. Fragments of landscape, light, and memory find their way into her compositions, moving between the representational and the abstract. The result is a body of work that is singular in presence: tactile, emotive, and alive with visual tension. Beyond her own practice, Shai is committed to mentoring artists who carry the talent but lack the opportunity. For her, art is not only creation — it is transmission.
How Shaira Ariz works
1. Materials I work primarily with acrylic and mixed media on canvas and wood panels. My practice leans into texture, so I use modeling paste, sand, fabric, paper, and anything that adds physical depth. I’m not precious about materials — if it creates the right shadow or surface, it goes on the canvas. Brushes, palette knives, and my hands are all tools in the process. 2. Process I start without a fixed image. Most pieces begin with a mood or a fragment of nature — light on stone, the texture of dry earth, the space between two colors. Layer 1: Build the ground with texture and tone. This is where the shadow and depth start. Layer 2: Add color, mixed media, and mark-making. I work intuitively, letting the piece tell me what it needs next. Finishing: I step back for days at a time. A piece is done when it feels like it can hold silence without feeling empty. 3. Time A small piece, 30x40cm, usually takes 1-2 weeks with drying time between layers. Larger works, 1m+, can take 4-6 weeks. I work on 2-3 pieces at once so the paint has time to set and I don’t force the process. 4. Bespoke Briefs For commissioned work, I start with a conversation, not a sketch. I want to know: - What feeling do you want in the space? - What colors, materials, or textures do you connect with? - What shouldn’t be there? From that, I create 2-3 small studies for you to approve before I start the final piece. You’ll get something that fits your space, but it won’t be a copy — it’ll be original, with the same texture and depth as my main body of work.
Inside the studio
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