I am by Zareena Bano in Bradford

The mural was commissioned and is painted on a wall in Kala Sangam Arts Centre, Bradford. The concept and inspiration: The inspiration behind the mural is primarily taken from a crop circle which appeared last year in England. Then wings and mandala designs were added. The mirror is placed on the figurehead, to look into, to be inspired to self-reflect and discover. Have you ever asked yourself, ‘Who Am I?’ Who do you think you are? Do you define yourself by your name, your profession, your ethnicity, your gender, your religion, or some other abstract label? Clearly, we’re all much more than that because the act of labelling automatically negates all the possibilities of us being anything else. Our identities are so complex and integrated in so many ways to cultural, social, mental, emotional, and spiritual values, it’s almost impossible to define ourselves properly. And therein lies the conundrum because the phrase “Who Am I?” is somewhat of an oxymoron. The famous Indian sage, Ramana Maharshi once said: “The question, ‘who am I?’ is not really meant to get an answer, it is meant to dissolve the questioner.” And so, it’s not about defining what you are but dis-identifying with everything you think you are, until you discover your real identity - your TRUE Self. This has always been a fundamental tenet of many spiritual and philosophical texts because once we discover who we truly are, our lives become limitless. After all, “I Am…..” can be anything you wish it to be…. because you are the author and editor of everything you choose to believe. Re-imagine yourself. Look in the mirror of the mural and think of who you really are and say ‘I am …’ People then shared their thoughts in the ‘I am’ book at the reception desk. I’ve added some of my thoughts at the back of the book. People were welcome to take photos with the mural and selfies.