It took me six months to complete this painting , I was inspired by my encounters with sensitive individuals who feel lost and struggle to find their place in society. Despite being overwhelmed with emotions and inner beauty, they don't know how to survive. What connected me to these souls was our shared faith, which gives us hope and strength to persevere.

Meriem Zenaini

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I’m Meriem Zenaini, a Canadian artist originally from Algeria. I came to Canada at 12, in 1998, and had to adapt to a culture very different from my own. I was a sensitive, imaginative child, and my love for art began early—cutting pieces from my mother’s dresses to make clothes for my dolls. Adolescence, shaped by migration, became a search for identity. I lost touch with art during those years and only found my way back to it as an adult, after working in finance. A manic episode, part of living with bipolar disorder, reawakened something in me. Later, depression showed me that art could be a lifeline, a way to process emotions and come home to myself. My paintings are how I navigate this journey. They help me explore who I am and what it means to be human. I try to embrace every part of my experience, even the hardest ones. In the darkness, I often find the most meaning.