Kismet

Kismet is a time-travelling tale of resilience.

During the 17th century, Mughal Emperor Akbar segregated women into a high-walled harem called a zenana. Women were considered goddesses and were thus meant to be kept sacred and inaccessible. As a result of this enforced purdah, they were secluded from society. Some women were not content with being confined and began breaking these rules. Empress Nur Jehan, Gulbadan Begum, and others became trailblazers by venturing out, crossing treacherous deserts and leading battles, rewriting the history of the Mughal Empire along the way.

Inspired by my own experiences of inhabiting segregated spaces in modern-day Pakistan, where public areas are devoid of female presence and where a teacher once told me "women belong in glass cages", this series explores the different ways we seek freedom of movement and expression. Using mixed media, generative AI, and iPhone photography, Kismet sheds light on the struggle to explore, express, and exist on our own terms.