A Prayer and a Brushstroke | Artist Talk with Safia Latif

A conversation with Safia Latif, a visual artist working in oil paint. Pioneer of Islamicate Impressionism, her work speaks to the heart, exploring how beauty, faith, and resistance converge in moments of individual and collective awakening.

Safia’s work draws from stories and metaphors from Islamic tradition and her background in religious studies to ask questions about the role of art in the face of injustice: How can creative expression bear witness to suffering? How does art function not only as a sanctuary but also as a form of moral inquiry, a call to action, and a mirror for the soul?

In this artist talk, Latif will discuss the intentions behind her recent work, the narratives that shape her imagery, and how her practice navigates between emotional resonance, spiritual metaphor, and sociopolitical consciousness. Together, we’ll explore how metaphor, tradition, and the aesthetics of the sacred come alive in her brushstrokes—how art becomes a mirror, a window, and a vessel of truth.

Safia Latif is a painter based in California. Her work is largely inspired by Near Eastern history and culture and examines themes of spirituality, melancholia, and the inexplicable depth of the quotidian in religious life.

In many of Safia's works you will encounter complex Islamic architectural elements and vivid colors reminiscent of orientalist painter Jean-Léon Gérôme. At the same time, her paintings are distinguished by her loose and textured brush strokes, as she is heavily influenced by impressionist painters.

She completed her MA in Middle Eastern Studies and began a PhD in religion, focusing on the concept of piety as a form of social capital for Muslim women in the medieval world. She was always drawn to art, and decided instead to use her knowledge of Islamic history to inform a creative body of work.