Artists
At Simply Impressions, we pride ourselves in having fresh and modern talents. We would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to our artists.
Fawzia Ghafoor-Khawaja
In May of 2011, Simply Impressions -- a house of Islamic Calligraphy, Al-Quran Verses and Islamic Decals -- came to existence holding the firm and competent hand of a British born prolific architect, Fawzia Ghafoor-Khawaja. Bringing an innovative blend of modern architectural twists and a dash of whimsical fun in the designs and patterns of Islamic Calligraphy, the Simply Impressions brand has enjoyed immediate success. The route to this success goes beyond 2011. In the year 2000, then Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) award nominated architect, Mrs. Khawaja, had gone to one of her most memorable expeditions, the Hajj to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. While performing the Hajj, the purity of the beautiful and innovative Islamic Calligraphy and Art left a deep and lasting impression on her. Having a flair for creative art, Mrs. Khawaja carried this sensation in her heart for years waiting for an opportunity to explore this medium as her busy architectural work with renowned names like BBC Studios in London, Bullring shopping mall in Birmingham, Visual Art Studio in London and numerous other interior designs for offices and shopping malls kept her occupied. In 2005, Mrs. Khawaja got married and relocated to the USA after enjoying a 12-year long successful architectural career in the UK. When she decided it was time to continue with her career, she found the recession to be a hindrance in finding meaningful architectural projects in her city of residence. She decided it was time to explore new opportunities give a new direction to her artistic career. As a result, Simply Impressions, an all women run business for Islamic Art was born adding to her career achievements of architecture, sculpture, painting, designing, model-making and drawing. Her work in Simply Impressions has been featured in publications such as Azizah Magazine and media outlets such as Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).
Peter Gould
Australian designer Peter Gould explores contemporary graphic design, digital art, photography and the rich visual & spiritual traditions of Islam. Peter embraced Islam in 2002 while studying Design at the University of Technology, Sydney. After graduating with honours he founded a design studio commissioned by clients such as Sony, Colgate, Vodafone & McAfee. He began travelling to the Muslim world, being inspired by cities like Fes, Damascus & Mecca, resulting in a unique cultural fusion of styles and reactive to a world of misunderstanding.