BAVINA SOOKDEO
Sanari Mohammed is a strong example of talent being innate – and when combined with creativity, it becomes the ideal formula for a powerhouse of passion, versatility, and entrepreneurial spirit.
At 16, she seamlessly blends her talents in fine art, mehndi design and baking into a vibrant, expressive world that reflects both tradition and innovation.
Mohammed of Santa Cruz is a student at St Augustine Girls’ High School (SAGHS). She began her journey in art with watercolours before she entered preschool.
“Thinking that painting would be a great way to keep a toddler occupied, my mom and I began watching YouTube videos together on how to paint, learning all about creating washes and using wet on wet techniques etcetera,” Mohammed said.
Those early lessons quickly blossomed into a passion. She progressed through acrylics and pastels in primary school, eventually discovering a preference for oil paints. Their smooth texture, she explained, “helps me to create realistic art pieces that I love.”
At seven, she entered a nationwide competition by the Field Naturalist Club and placed first with her painting of a motmot bird in the midst of cacao trees.
Mohammed’s love for detail and realism shines in her favourite piece to date: a 32x40-inch oil painting of her dog titled Timothy Whimsical Mohammed.
[caption id="attachment_1153324" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Eid sugar cookies: Her sugar cookies are known for their artistry and taste. -[/caption]
“In recent years I have developed a strong fondness for painting my dog with a total of five portraits of him currently hanging in my home."
Timothy Whimsical Mohammed took her approximately three months to complete and is her most realistic, life-like painting to date. The painting not only captured her dog’s personality but also sparked a new venture – "pet commissions," which she now offers via her Instagram page, @sanari.is.art.
Pet enthusiasts can purchase painted gifts or memory keepsakes of their beloved pets there. Her love for painting animals has also led her to create pieces with the scarlet ibis and local birds like the crested oropendola (corn bird), both of which were displayed at the Red House’s Rotunda Gallery.
Mohammed also decorates sugar cookies and cupcakes and is a skilled mehndi (henna) artist.
“Ever since I was small, I was obsessed with drawing mandalas and patterns similar to mehndi designs. When I got my hands on my first mehndi tube from the Indian Expo, it was a game changer.”
From practising on her left hand to doing mehndi for fellow students, teachers and clients, Mohammed has built a following through her Instagram page
@your_mehndi_artist_tt. She has even done groom mehndi and hopes to explore bridal mehndi in the future.
Her love for baking started at home, inspired by regular time in the kitchen with her mom.
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“We love conjuring up sweet treats and trying new recipes. I have a core memory of the two of us wa
