This British Indian artist’s illustrations bring Mughal miniature paintings into the present

In addition to the commingling of objects and memory, Ahmed’s work also accommodates a second, more contemplative visual language. One that is not bursting from the margins but is slower, sequential and narrative-led. In Nur & the Nightmare, an illustrated series of 12 miniature-inspired­ artworks, she topples the folkloric trope of women being abducted by malignant djinns to present a consensual love story between Nur, a princess, and Kabus, a female-presenting djinn. “In South Asian mythology, djinns are often viewed as shape-shifting beings, so their gender is in flux too. It made me want to toy with the idea of humans embodying djinns,” she explains. In the section titled Falling, Nur and Kabus are seen resting in the shade of a tree. The text reads: “Nur spoke of the deep rot in her kingdom, Kabus spoke of the limits of Djinn law. Their shadows met like old lovers, their darknesses reaching out to discover each other. Nur saw her reflection playing on the pearly wings of Kabus and found her comfort there.”

Nur and the Nightmare (panel 3) by Reya Ahmed.

Moving In, Moving Out by Reya Ahmed.