Hello, I’m Shifa Hader it’s a nick name given to me by my family & friends and I love it, My official name is “Shaftain” which I don’t use a lot in public. I’m an artist, dreamer, a mom and a tea enthusiast based in Dubai. I’m absolutely in love with the sea and sunsets and deeply inspired by their mystical beauty. I’m immensely enchanted by the effects of sunset colors on the sea which I also portray in my seascape paintings with a magic touch. each piece is a part of me and comes from the soul. ♥

Story behind my paintings ✨

I remember myself as a little girl, spending sunset at the beach with my parents. Since childhood I have been admiring the existence of sea on earth, I used to gaze at the sea and listen to the sound of waves for hours, those moments made me forget all the noise of the world and feel the magic of ocean. I create my paintings with those memories in my heart. I have been painting with oil paints from many years and sold a lot of my work through group exhibitions in Dubai. Before I started sharing my work online I use to sell large scale seascape oil paintings locally and now from last 3 years a lot of my sea paintings are residing in their forever homes in various countries around the world. I paint semi-realism seascapes. The combination of vibrant warm sunset and cool ocean colors display a sense of mystery, The depiction of light which is the main focus in my work represents hope, presence of magic and beauty in our lives. In my work, I use light to show that there is always hope in our lives, even when we face challenges. It represents a ray of light that helps us navigate our problems and gives us the strength and courage to face them with hope and a positive mindset.

Magic & healing power of the sea ✨

I believe there is something magical and mystical about the ocean especially at the time of sunset and I always try to capture that in my work. There is nothing more relaxing and healing than a walk at sunset on the beach. It can instantly release stress and make you forget all the worries of your life. I try to paint the soul and the magic of the ocean in my pieces so that the viewers can feel the release of their stress while looking at all the interesting sea colors and when their eyes stop at the strong light and the sparkles in that very moment they can feel the presence of magic around them, in their lives and also within themselves. Sometimes you can’t escape physically to the beach due to so many reasons but you can definitely feel it’s presence in the form of a painting, feel the ocean vibes and cherish it forever and ever. ♥