Syeda Mleeha Shah

JAG Universal Collection - Art
www.jaguniversalcollection.com

“Through every motif and stroke, I’m honoring the old worlds that shaped us while inviting a new generation to see beauty in pattern, history, and quiet intention. My work is where heritage breathes again—layered, luminous, and alive.”

Artist Bio: 
Syeda Mleeha Shah is a Richmond-based artist whose work blends Middle Eastern geometric traditions with contemporary design. Drawing inspiration from Turkish calligraphy, Moroccan zellige, and classical Arabesque patterning, her pieces explore harmony, repetition, and the quiet structure of symmetry.
Her artistic practice emerged in 2021 following the passing of her mother—an artist whose creative spirit shaped Syeda’s earliest memories. In returning to the patterns and textures she once watched her mother create, Syeda discovered a renewed artistic voice. This became the foundation of Arabesque Reflections, a series grounded in cultural heritage and modern minimalism.
Shah has exhibited at the Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen—including a 2021 solo exhibition—and at Artspace in 2023. Her work is currently available through the Cultural Arts Center and her boutique, JAG Universal Collection.
Merging her background as an educator, author, and photographer, Shah approaches each piece with intention and narrative depth. Her work honors traditional artistic lineages while imagining new directions for contemporary pattern-driven art.