Erum Durrani’s art lives between two worlds but has one identity

Erum Durrani is a visual designer working in art and design since 2009. Hailing from Pakistan and based in Abu Dhabi, by day, she’s a digital designer — juggling graphic and web projects using Adobe Creative Suite, crafting seamless UX flows in Figma, and also experimenting with Generative AI. But when she’s off the 9 to 5 clock, you’ll find her sketching vibrant digital illustrations or getting hands-on with oil, acrylic, and watercolour — always chasing the next spark of inspiration.

From pixels to paint, she says, her creative journey has always been about storytelling. As a digital artist, concept designer and visual storyteller, she has spent years crafting immersive narratives — whether through carefully designed branding elements, attractive marketing visuals, or conceptual artworks that explore new perspectives. Erum Durrani speaks to Gulf Today

Has it been easy for you to work both in the commercial and aesthetic sides of art?

Embracing both the commercial and aesthetic sides of art has been one of my richest creative challenges. At first glance, they may feel like opposite ends of a spectrum — one driven by client goals and timelines, and the other by personal exploration and emotional release. But I’ve found they actually fuel and balance each other beautifully. In my commercial work, I partner closely with clients to understand their brand values, audience needs, and project objectives.

The Coast of Cyprus, as Erum Durrani saw it.

On the other hand, outside of client briefs, my studio practice is an unrestricted playground. There I let intuition guide me, experimenting with colour, form and narrative, just for the joy of creating. Moving between these worlds keeps my vision fresh. Techniques I discover in personal work often spark innovative concepts I pitch to clients, while the structure of professional assignments ensures my creative experiments stay grounded and goal-oriented.

What inspires your artworks?

Life, in all its messy, beautiful glory, is what fuels my art. I’m endlessly curious about the world around me — every flower petal, every passing shadow on a building, the way a single colour can shift your mood ... I pay attention to the little moments: a snippet of conversation on the street, the texture of an old door, the way sunlight hits a glass window. Some days it’s the rhythm of Urdu poetry echoing in my mind; other days, it’s the hum of city traffic or the scent of jasmine blooming outside my window. All these tiny details weave themselves into the stories I tell on canvas.

A native scene in digital illustration.

Who are your favourite artists? Why?

I’ve always been drawn to artists who bring big ideas to life in unexpected ways, and Milton Glaser was my first “aha” moment. Back in design school, I stumbled on his work and was blown away by how bold and colourful everything felt; yet each piece carried a clear message. It taught me that design doesn’t have to play it safe — there’s room for flair and storytelling even in the simplest shapes and letters. A few years later, as I dove into concept art, Feng Zhu became my go-to inspiration. His environment designs are insanely detailed and immersive, like you could step right into his worlds.

Composition titled Shades That Define Us.

Watching him break down projects made me rethink how I approach space and atmosphere in my own work, whether I’m sketching a futuristic cityscape or imagining a lush forest scene. When I shifted from screens to canvas, Igor Saharov’s fearless painting style really resonated. His pieces feel alive — textures pop, colours glow, and everything looks almost three-dimensional. Seeing that level of confidence on canvas encouraged me to take more risks. Together, these three artists have shaped how I see form, colour and narrative in everything I create.

What are the challenges you have faced as an artist?

Balancing client deadlines with my personal studio practice has been a real workout for my time-management muscles. Commercial briefs come with strict milestones — presentation decks due Tuesday, revisions by Friday — while my heart craves for those unhurried mornings where I can lose myself in a watercolour experiment. To sync these two worlds, I carve out dedicated “experiment hours” in my calendar, often early on Saturday or Sunday. This ensures I’m still meeting commitments at work, while giving my free-spirited projects the space they need to blossom.

Can you compare and contrast the Pakistani art scene and the Emirates art ecology?

Although there are clear differences between the art scenes in Pakistan and the Emirates, they also share overlaps rooted in culture. In Pakistan, art often blooms out of grassroots energy — street murals, miniature painting traditions, calligraphy and the riotous colours of truck art that spill into public life without waiting for white-walled galleries. Local craftspeople and self-taught painters keep long-standing motifs alive, even when formal funding or institutional support is scarce. By contrast, the Emirates has built an art ecology that’s institution-forward and globally connected.

Erum Durrani is based in Abu Dhabi.

You’ll find flagship museums like Louvre Abu Dhabi, annual fairs such as Art Dubai and government-backed foundations curating major shows. Galleries in Alserkal Avenue and across Dubai Design District bring international stars next to emerging local talents. There’s a professional infrastructure — grants, residencies, art-fair circuits — that fuels ambitious projects and large-scale public installations. Despite these contrasts, both worlds celebrate pattern, ritual and hospitality. Pakistani artists are reviving floral and geometric motifs passed down through generations, while Emirati creatives riff on Arabic calligraphy and desert landscapes. But in both places, art is a way to honour where we come from and where we’re headed.