FEREH DAWÛD

Qamishlo- “I fight cancer by painting,” Fatma Ayid Mihemed says. After she was diagnosed with cancer, she kept painting instead of giving up. We spoke to her about her journey with painting.

36-year-old Fatma Ayid Mihemed started painting when she was 10 years old and since then she has been trying to portray beauty, pain, happiness-unhappiness, women's issues, and women's struggles in her artworks. When she was diagnosed with cancer, she kept painting instead of giving up.

“I have painted since my childhood”

“I am 36 years old now and draw pictures professionally. Actually, I have been drawing since my childhood. I began to paint when I was 10 years old and since then, I want to be a good painter. In the beginning, I drew more concrete, visible, and tangible things such as houses, mountains, children, and faces. Over time, I started painting different things. Now, I mostly portray women; the lives of women, their beauty, their struggles...” she told NuJINHA. 

“I believe in myself”

Speaking about her paintings, Fatma Mihamed said, “I believe in myself and feel confident. And I know that my paintings are good. Being proud of yourself is important. From my experience, I can say that people should feel confident. Everything is difficult at the beginning but time and patience solve all problems.”

“I am more determined to paint after being diagnosed with cancer”

Fatma Mihamed was diagnosed with cancer while she was improving her skills in art. But being diagnosed with cancer never discourages her; on the contrary, she keeps painting to fight cancer. “I love to paint and I want to continue to paint. I am more determined to paint after being diagnosed with cancer to fight cancer.”