Daily Inspiration: Meet Zermina Shah

Today we’d like to introduce you to Zermina Shah.

Hi Zermina, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I am a multidisciplinary artist, and I believe every medium carries its own essence. Charcoal, watercolor, acrylics, and oils each bring a different feeling and energy into the work. I love experimenting and moving between materials, and I don’t think I will ever stop exploring new ways to create.
I have always been an artist. Even as a little girl, I was constantly creating, making tiny paintings, decorating vases with jute and paint, and filling my room with art. While many people around me pursued engineering, medicine, or business, my mind was always drawn toward creativity.
One of my greatest inspirations has been my father. He completed his MBA at the age of 52 after carrying responsibilities since his teenage years. Watching him continue his education later in life taught me that age should never define what someone can or cannot achieve. That lesson stayed with me throughout my own journey.
I take myself as my own competitor. I learn, grow, and then challenge myself to do better than I did before. My focus has always been on improving my own work rather than comparing it to others.
Motherhood never separated me from art. I continued painting through pregnancy and while raising my two daughters. My youngest daughter, who is three years old, genuinely thinks all moms go to college and paint, and I love that creativity feels so natural in her world.
Along with creating and selling my paintings, I also host art workshops and enjoy creating spaces where people can explore their creativity freely.
I am currently pursuing my BFA, and although the journey has taken me longer than expected because of motherhood and life responsibilities, I am proud of myself for continuing. For me, success is not about fame. It is about continuing to create, grow, and stay true to yourself

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
My journey as an artist has also come with its share of obstacles and challenges. Moving from Pakistan to the United States during my teenage years was a major shift that turned my world upside down in many ways. Alongside adapting to a new culture and environment, life quickly became full of responsibilities. Motherhood brought its own beautiful but demanding challenges, from pregnancies to raising my children and managing the constant flow of daily life at home. I am someone who is deeply involved in caring for my family, cooking fresh meals every day and making sure everyone is taken care of, which often leaves very little time for myself. At times, the biggest challenge was not just the workload, but the emotional weight of guilt, feeling like I should always be doing more for my children instead of creating. Learning to hold space for both my art and my family has been a continuous balancing act, but over time I have come to understand that both are important parts of who I am.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
What makes me different as a visual artist is my early foundation from Lahore, Pakistan, where I studied at Lahore College and spent my training years painting heritage buildings in watercolor on thick paper through direct observation on the college grounds. That practice taught me patience, discipline, and how to translate living environments into visual storytelling. It continues to shape my sketching style, my sense of composition, and the emotional flow in my work. I naturally move between expressive, experimental pieces and more intentional, story-driven compositions depending on the narrative I want to express. As a Pakistani-American artist, I also weave in subtle cultural motifs and symbolic elements that reflect my roots, creating a unique bridge between where I come from and where I am now.

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I am still a BFA student and have restarted my college journey three times.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://zerminaart.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zerminaart/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zerminaart/