Building a Concept

Movement and Memory : The First Thread in My Childhood-Inspired Portfolio

From dress-up sessions with my sisters to performing on stage, dance gave me confidence, community, and stories I now bring into my illustration work.

This first part explores the question — what did you love as a child?

It started with a quick study from a picture I found on Pinterest — just a simple exercise to loosen up and develop some characters.

But as I drew, a narrative began to take shape. A quick study it was no longer! (oops)

Three sisters became three performers, dressed to the nines. A captured memory. A page from a family photo album.

They reminded me of my own sisters — the dress-up sessions, the make-believe pageants, the fights, and the bursts of joy and love that always pulled us back together.

Moodboard & palette

I spent most of my childhood dancing. Either on stage, in front of the TV, in the shower, with my friends, basically everywhere. After considering going the 90’s nostalgia route, imagining myself dancing to Chak Dum Dum, sipping maaza and watching Boogie Woogie, I decided to explore the heart of my story.

Why was dance important to me? Because it gave me confidence and community. But also because I felt powerful, whether I was by myself or dancing with my troupe.

When I draped myself in my mom’s dupattas and jewelry, my imagination took over. Suddenly, the possibilities were endless. I was the heroine of my own story — an award-winning actress, a diva, a queen. The grace! The charisma! Oof. Nothing could stop that little girl.

Everything I didn’t always feel in my “real” life, dance and performance gave me.

This memory became the foundation for a new series of illustrations about love, community, and self-discovery.

Through characters inspired by dancers, sisters, grandmothers, and granddaughters, I explore how movement connects us to our heritage, to each other, and to ourselves.

This exercise reminded me that a strong concept is not just a single illustration—it’s a thread that runs through every page, color, and gesture.

Special mention and thanks to my grandmothers, the artist and the storyteller. To keeping both your legacies alive ✨