Tell us about your creative work:

I hand draw illustrations and produce giclée prints through my arts website MULHIMA. I also create art postcards, some serious and some (lighthearted!) zines, lino printed journals, loom woven jewellery coasters and hand-built ceramics. MULHIMA means ‘muse’ in Arabic and the site is an ode to myth, legend, the orient, the esoteric feminine and women in the performing arts. 

Beyond art, I write: I have two books of poetry out, and am currently working on two forthcoming projects - a book of essays and a play. 

I am finally a filmmaker. I recently had a film of mine screened which explores Afro hair from the stories of four Afro women, including myself. I named the film ‘Towards Sun’, to be emblematic of Afro hair that grows skyward. 

What is your connection to Haringey?

I’ve been in Haringey pretty much all my life and grew up around Ottakar’s bookshop in Wood Green and also spent a lot of time in Haringey libraries. I also went to school in Haringey and spent a lot of time in Crouch End and Highgate as a teenager. 

How does Haringey inspire you? 

Haringey has the world: there’s always a new culture to discover and try to understand. I love Haringey parks in the summer, and seeing the different worlds that come together to enjoy green spaces. I think I’m most inspired by nature and ecology in Haringey, from Railway Fields to Bruce Castle Park. 

I’m also inspired by Haringey’s history: the Ghanaian community who carved out a space on West Green Road (which is now like a little Accra), to the West Indian community who established community and cultural projects that my generation and later generations can still enjoy today as a legacy and heirloom. 

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What’s been sparking your creativity lately? 

I’ve been influenced by reading anything that comes my way and questioning why it reached me. It could be something mundane, but I always try to make note of new words, ideas or ways of viewing the world that inspire my next writing project or artwork. 

What small rituals or practices help you stay creative? 

The five daily prayers which Muslims observe is a mindful break from the bustle of the day. In my morning prayer just before dawn the day is young and it’s just me, the sky and the occasional twittering bird. It’s a very peaceful way to start the day as a Muslim.

I also enjoy watching great films from around the world and rereading my favourite books as a means of recalibration and reorienting myself around truly great visionaries and pioneering creative work I can aspire to.

What is the best creative advice you've received? 

You’ll always look a little mad going against the grain because it hasn’t been done before but you have to persevere… 

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What are you looking forward to about Haringey's London Borough of Culture? 

I’m looking forward to learning about other artists in the borough and discovering new projects, new talent and ways of understanding the world through the eyes of the artist. 

What is your favourite hidden gem in Haringey? 

I guess there are so many, but any tree-lined park is always a favourite! 

And finally, what does being a 'rebel' mean to you?

Fighting the good fight… not for the sake of optics or non-conformity, but for principle and to shake up the world a little, even if the world happens to be a small and bounded one like your immediate community!

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