Mango season in Sindh brings memories of abundance, fragrance, and sweetness. I remember bringing home crates of mangoes, along with the inevitable flies that accompanied them. This bittersweet reality of the season became the starting point for this painting.
As I painted, I was reminded of Allama Iqbal’s poem Makra aur Makhi (The Spider and the Fly), in which a spider lures a fly into its web through flattery and deception. The poem introduced another layer to my memories, turning the sweetness of the mangoes into a reflection on the temptations of the material world.
Drawing from the intricate ornamentation of geometric and tezhib art, I bring together personal memory and spiritual reflection. The mangoes celebrate the abundance of nature, while the spiderweb quietly suggests the fragility and hidden dangers that can accompany desire.