I Am Sifar
Is This My Circus?

I dream. The spark of an idea forms vivid, elusive, layered with emotions drawn from memory, imagination, and intuition. But a dream is never static. It evolves. In collaboration with AI, I explore its depths through an intense dialogue, where unexpected possibilities unfold. Together, we generate an image imbued with emotions nostalgia, wonder, or perhaps the quiet unease of curiosity. The result always surprises me, as if the dream reveals itself fully for the first time, no longer mine but something shared with the unknown.

Seeing this vision, I collaborate with my team, who are integral with their skills, to refine it, carefully introducing elements that complete the story I wish to tell. It’s a process of co-creation, where logic and instinct meet to shape the chaos. Once this digital reflection is perfected, it transforms from concept into something tangible a foundation on which the rest of the journey is built.

We then turn to artisanal studios, where master craftsmen bring their expertise to translate this vision into watercolor. Their hands breathe life into every stroke, infusing the work with texture and depth that only tradition can provide. Here, the dream is reborn, bridging the contemporary with the handmade, merging technology with the timeless touch of artistry.

And yet, as each creation comes to life, I can’t help but ask: Is this really my circus, or am I merely one of its performers? In the act of creation, control is both necessary and illusory, and the line between ringmaster and participant often blurs. What begins as a whisper of thought becomes a vivid expression of emotion a story shared across mediums, cultures, and disciplines.

Perhaps, in the end, that’s the beauty of it. Each creation asks me again: Is this my circus? Or am I the monkey?

The artist, perhaps, is a paradox both the dreamer and the craftsman, and yet neither at the same time. The dreamer gives birth to the idea, but the one who paints, who refines, and collaborates also shapes the outcome. Without either, the creation would be incomplete. Maybe the artist is the bridge the one who navigates the chaos of dreaming, directing, and surrendering. Or perhaps the true artist is the process itself, a living entity that transcends ownership, where the dreamer, the painter, the AI, and the artisans all play their part.

And so, I ask again: Is this my circus? Or am I the monkey?

I Am Sifar

This paradox of authorship finds its embodiment in Sifar, my symbolic signature. The word, written in Urdu, carries personal significance my father signed his early works in Urdu, and I now carry forward that tradition in a new form. Sifar is a seal, a mark that transcends individual ownership, embodying humility, infinite potential, and cultural connection .

Like the zero, Sifar holds within it both emptiness and boundless possibility a space where ideas, dreams, and collaboration come to life. It rejects singular authorship, embracing co-creation. It is an identity, yet it is nameless.

The circular form enclosing Sifar mirrors this infinite cycle creation without an end, authorship without ego. The mark is embossed or debossed, a subtle imprint rather than a claim. It is not a signature of ownership, but a testament to the process.

I am Sifar, an artist, a collaborator, a dreamer, and a questioner. I exist within the paradox, forever asking: Is this my circus?