We recently had the chance to connect with Afroza Imran and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Afroza, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
Listening to my favorite soundtracks while painting, I drift into a world of colors and melodies — a realm that feels like a whimsical, sweet dream. I live in my own little world, one that feels like home yet exists nowhere in this physical reality. It lies beyond the mountains, across the sea, past the moon — beyond all the places we dream about. When I paint, I lose myself completely in the movement of color. Time ceases to exist; it flies away with me as its passenger. In those moments, I am free — guided only by emotion, imagination, and the quiet music of my soul.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I was born and raised in Bangladesh and later moved to the United States, where I graduated with honors in Business Administration from the University of Texas at Dallas. I now work full-time for a wonderful company, and in the quiet spaces of my days, I devote myself to creating art — my greatest passion and the place where I feel most at home.
As an abstract expressionist, painting is a deeply personal and transformative process for me. My art reflects the dreams I’ve seen, the places I’ve been, and the layers of emotions I feel from time to time. Each piece is inspired by music, fairy tales, poetry, nature, and astrology — the elements that awaken my imagination and fuel my creative spirit. Every painting tells a story: a dream, a poem, a song, or a memory that has touched my heart. I describe my art as “a window to my ever-romantic soul.” Through color and movement, I express feelings that words often cannot capture. When I paint, time stands still — the world fades, leaving only me and my colors in a moment of pure magic.
Currently, I am working on a piece titled “Lullaby from a Secret Garden”. It began as a vision of serenity: fragrant flower meadows, dewy fields, and the soft hush of a magical morning. When I first touched the canvas, I imagined myself surrounded by gentle blues and sage greens — a peaceful world that felt suspended in light.
As the work evolved, I noticed the palette shifting almost on its own. Acrylic layered over pastel gradually deepened into forest greens and cloudy greys. What was once a tranquil dawn became a landscape marked by shadow. Yet through this darkness, small fireflies emerged, their delicate glow breaking through the heaviness. They became symbols of hope, quiet guidance, and the instinctive ability to find one’s way even when the path is unclear.
This transformation mirrors the turbulence of my own thoughts and emotions. The painting has revealed itself to be less about depicting a place and more about charting an internal landscape — one where beauty and struggle coexist. I’ve come to recognize that some of the most meaningful work is created during our darkest moments, when art becomes a way to speak what we cannot easily say aloud.
Lullaby from a Secret Garden is my way of expressing those inner shifts with honesty and grace. It reflects my commitment to using art as a healthy, compassionate space to process emotion — allowing the canvas to hold both the shadows and the light.
So far, I have participated in several local exhibitions. My artworks have been displayed multiple times at the City Hall of Frisco (George A. Purefoy Municipal Center) and featured in group shows at the Texas Visual Arts Association (TVAA) Gallery in downtown Dallas, Beaudry Gallery in the Dallas Design District, Visual Arts Guild Frisco, Artrageous Show, The Roots Exhibition, and the Fresh Start Juried Exhibition.
My works and artistic journey have also been featured in several publications, including the Richardson Living Magazine (February 2019 Health & Wellness Issue), Apero Art Magazine, MXD Art Magazine, and in the Beaudry Gallery’s “Magnitude of Color” exhibition during the DADA Spring Gallery Walk.
Looking ahead, I hope to dedicate more time to my art — with plans to hold my first solo exhibition next year and continue sharing my creative journey through new works, exhibitions, and collaborations.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Before the world told me who I had to be, I was an artist in heart and soul long before I even knew what the word artist meant. Colors and motions were my first secret language. As a child, vivid, exotic colors pulled me in like old friends — I played with them endlessly, not to create something perfect, but simply because they made me feel alive.
I was a devoted lover of nature from the beginning. I could hear stories whispered by trees, sense the magic in rainbow-covered morning fog, and find beauty in a single gleaming star at dawn. The wind carried melodies only I seemed to notice — the rustle of leaves, the softness of sunrays dancing through branches, the gentle chorus of summer afternoons.
I saw purity in a drop of dew. I felt the nostalgic music of rainy evenings, the soothing hum of cascading water, and the tender call of a mourning dove drifting through quiet air. Nature was — and still is — my greatest muse: wild, calm, chaotic, radiant, and unapologetically itself.
Before the world gave me definitions, expectations, or rules, I already understood creation as freedom. I was someone who felt deeply, saw beauty everywhere, and instinctively translated life into color. That was who I was then — and, in truth, who I still am at my core.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
Be kind to yourself — you don’t have to prove anything. No one gets to name you, shape you, or silence your fire. Don’t be afraid, just believe in yourself. You can be anything you want to be.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
My friends would say that I care deeply about authenticity, truth, and honesty — the kind you can feel, not explain. I value compassion and kindness, both toward others and myself, as well as the freedom to explore, imagine, and grow. I am a deeply emotional person, guided by trust, loyalty, and love — by anything that feels genuine and true. I am moved by sincerity and the quiet power of real connections, whether with people, nature, or the world around me. My emotions are not just feelings; they are the lens through which I experience life and create my art, allowing me to express what words often cannot. At the same time, my heart lives in my family. My son is my world, and the love, care, and bonds I nurture with those closest to me are what give my life its deepest meaning. These connections anchor me, inspire my creativity, and remind me of the joy, responsibility, and beauty of truly caring for others.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
My motto in life is simple: be real, kind, and humble — you can never be too kind. I hope to be remembered as a compassionate, caring person who treated others with warmth and respect. I hope they remember my creativity — how I transformed feelings, colors, and moments into experiences that others could feel too.
I have been told that many people find inspiration in my work and in the way I see the world. Some have gone on to attend art school themselves or sent their children to art classes because of it. Many have drawn inspiration from my paintings to create their own, while others simply enjoy the beauty in my work and appreciate it. Still others have found comfort and strength in my art during times of illness, loss, or depression. I hope that this inspiration continues long after I am gone — that my love, my art, and my unique perspective keep sparking curiosity, courage, and a sense of beauty in others.
When I am remembered, I hope it is as someone who lived with an open heart, loved deeply, and created with honesty and passion. Someone who embraced life fully, shared her emotions freely, and encouraged others to see the world with wonder, hope, and courage. Through my life and my art, I hope to leave a legacy of love, creativity, and the quiet magic of truly living authentically.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: afrozaimran217
- Linkedin: Afroza Imran
- Facebook: Abstract Art Studio by Afroza
