Tag Archives: Uzma Irfan

Healing through art

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Bengaluru, KARNATAKA :

After a near-death experience, Badrunissa Irfan, wife of Irfan Razack, CMD of Prestige Group, has put paintbrush to paper, expressing all that she’s been through.

Bengaluru : 

11 years ago, Badrunissa Irfan was in a comatose state for almost a month. Doctors had lost hope but Irfan pulled along.

Today, over a decade after the incident, Irfan is sharing what she experienced for the first time, through her art works. Titled ‘Freedom of the Soul’, 35 paintings of Irfan will be on display at Sublime Galleria in UB City through the month of June.

Picking up her acrylic paints after a 20-year break, Irfan questions what a soul is through her paintings. “I had a near-death experience where I was in a state of coma for 23 days and was declared clinically dead twice. But I came back to life and what I witnessed during those days is what I have painted now. I want to convey the message I received from the Almighty through my art.”

While she took to art at a young age, her passion took a backseat when life and responsibilities took over. “It was my daughter Uzma [Uzma Irfan, director of Prestige Group], who encouraged me to pick up the brushes again. When I told her that my body cannot do what it used to before, she sent her daughter (my granddaughter) Alayna Zaid (who is also an artist) to sit with me while working,” she says, adding that she started work on her paintings in January this year.

Talking about her paintings, Irfan says, “You’ll find that most of my paintings are of open skies, mountains, gushing streams, animals and birds.”

Starting at `75,000 and going up to `1,40,000, all proceeds from this show will be donated to charity. She recalls how she couldn’t hear anyone except her daughter reading verses from the Quran every day.

“In my unconscious state, there was a scenario where I felt like I was looking at my own body from the outside,” she says. Every experience that she went through during that period comes to life in this series. “The colours that I use depend completely on my mood. I spend about two hours in the afternoon and another two in the evening and finish one painting within two days. It might take a little longer if it’s a bigger one,” Irfan adds.

Irfan believes she ‘came back to life’ to share what she has seen and witnessed. “I personally feel more connected with nature, animals, birds, flowers and fruits. I feel humans are hypocrites and so I use my art to share the beauty I believe in,” says Irfan, who is also the author of cookbook Duniya-e-Ziyafat.


(Freedom of the Soul will be showcased from June 1 to 30 at Sublime Galleria. All proceeds from this show will be donated to charity)

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Anila Kurian , Express News Service / May 31st, 2022

Mother’s recipe

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Books (incl.Biographies - w.e.f.01 jan 2018 ), Community Involvement / Social Issues, Karnataka (under research project), , , , ,

Bengaluru, KARNATAKA :

Be it heirloom dishes or new-age recipes, this cookbook, penned by Badrunissa Irfan –  mother of Uzma Irfan, director, Prestige Group – dishes out something for everyone

Bengaluru :

Ever wondered what makes the food coming from your grandmother’s or mother’s kitchen yummier than even the best chef in the world? 


There’s something comforting in these dishes prepared by seasoned hands sans any sort of measurement.

The recipes in Duniya-e-Ziyafat, a cookbook by Badrunissa Irfan, mother of Uzma Irfan, director, Prestige Group, dishes out some recipes that are sure to give you hunger pangs. The book was launched on Saturday at Sublime Art Galleria.

In the 184-page book, Irfan spills the secrets to some mouth watering dishes like Nalli Ka Salan, Herby Chicken among a host of others. According to Irfan, minimum spices and processes are secrets behind the taste. “The recipes that are shared in the book are simple which even beginners can follow. I always try to keep my recipes minimal so that the flavours are enhanced. With extra garam masala and red chilli powder, you tend to miss out on the delicateness of the dishes,” says Irfan, adding that the other best kept secret is a clean kitchen. “I see many people who make a mayhem in the kitchen even if they just chop a cucumber. A clean kitchen provides clarity of mind,” she adds. 

The book is a compilation of recipes that Irfan had written for her daughter, Uzma, when she was in London. “In uni, there’s not enough time to prepare an elaborate meal, so you need quick ones, which also give you a taste of home,” says 62-year-old Irfan, adding that she hopes the book helps people churn out some delicious recipes even during a busy schedule. 

Although there is no doubt that her meat dishes steal the show, her vegetarian dishes also have an equal number of takers. With options like Stir Fried Tofu, Herb Roasted Potato and more, the book has something for everyone.  “It’s mandatory to have a veggie dish in every meal that is cooked. My husband, Irfan Razack, is man of simple taste, he enjoys any vegetarian dish,” she says, adding that there are enough dessert options too. 

Family ties remain strong in this book since it also contains some recipes Irfan had learnt from her mother. “I started cooking at the age of six. Coming from a joint family, it used to be such nice way to bond,” recalls Irfan, who went on to also learn how to make pickles from her grandmother. Besides some heirloom recipes, Irfan’s cookbook also contains newer recipes which she discovered over time. 
The book can be pre-ordered on sublime.in

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Monika Monalisa / Express News Service / January 19th, 2021

Raring to go

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, ,

Bengaluru, KARNATAKA :

Budding artist Alayna Zaid
Budding artist Alayna Zaid

Nine-year-old artist Alayna Zaid, having her maiden show in the city, shows promise

“Imaginarium” is a showcase of art works by a nine-year-old girl. What makes it even more interesting is the variety of medium, the budding artist Alayna Zaid has worked with like glass paint, watercolour, acrylic on canvas, oil on canvas, glue with paint, shaving foam with paint, tissue paper for crating textures. As for the imagery, the fourth standard girl of the Inventure Academy, has borrowed from flora and fauna. A few abstract works are also part of the collection.

At an age when children discover new games everyday, Alayna spent her holidays at home to complete 40 paintings for the exhibition. While Alayna’s mother Uzma Irfan says her work were so good that they decided to put it out in the public domain, the young artist is nonchalant about the development. “I don’t know how it feels. All I know is I like to paint different themes like nature and animals in different textures,” says Alayna.

Alayna was three when her mother noticed her talent. “The same year I put her in informal ‘observe and learn classes’ with Nimmi Ravindran as she was too young. But gradually she started taking to it and she has actively been learning and experimenting with her teacher’s guidance since then,” says Uzma.

Alayna’s passion for colours can be seen in her ‘Psychedelic’ painting in which she has used glue and paint. To depict ‘Snowy Mountains’ on a sunny day she uses shaving foam whereas her ‘Twilight’ has colours literally flowing down the canvas as she had discovered the diluting paint. Allowing it to flow resulted in creating the effect. “I love the textures that come out of paint-knife and chopsticks too”, she says pointing out to her trees and leaves.

Alayna has made 300 paintings till now but what the little girl is particularly excited about is ‘Mandala’ art work. Recently finished in school, she used rice and a variety of seeds for which she received appreciation from her teachers.

Alayna Zaid’s works will be on display at Sublime Galleria till August 2

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Metroplus / Ranjani Govind / Bengaluru – July 09th, 2016