Najma was born and raised in East Africa. She immigrated to Canada in 1974 - Toronto has been her home since. Until recently, Najma taught in an elementary school in York Region. She now spends more time traveling and painting. She has exhibited in artist run and commercial galleries, and community projects in Toronto. Her recent work is spontaneous and intuitive, and explores the tension between the real and imagined, the physical and abstract.

Artist Statement

My work explores the constant tension between the real and imaginary, physical and abstract.The overall tone of the paintings is intuitive and unrehearsed.My abstract pieces are inspired by blind sketches, or gestural, intuitive lines created with a palette knife. The process begins with little forethought. The composition unfolds and develops as the various elements interact. The challenge and excitement of the painting as it spontaneously unfolds, is the uncertainty of the outcome. I start by applying paint or an acrylic texture medium freely on the canvas. Some of the shapes and forms created remain through the piece's progress. They create the movement in the composition. Others will be overpainted by successive layers. New shapes and textures evolve from the part of the original underpainting which have been partly obscured by the new layers as I continue to build the final composition. The observer is part of the creative process as the work does not define or prescribe by suggesting a narrative or sentiment, but leads to multiple interpretations. … Read More