Mariam Hijaze (b. 1999) is an artist whose practice is rooted in emotional experience and in the attempt to give visual form to states that can be difficult to express in words. Her desire to better understand this visual language and develop it consciously led her to pursue formal studies in art. Her work explores emotional tension, pressure, control, change, and the ways accumulated experiences leave traces on the individual. She is particularly drawn to the human figure—the face, gaze, and body language—and to their ability to communicate without words. Her sources of inspiration include personal experience, observation of people and human reactions, and the meeting point between beauty, discomfort, and tension. Through her practice, Hijaze examines what occurs beneath the surface: moments when internal pressure leads to transformation, and the ways a person is reshaped by the experiences they have lived through.