Minakari (2022) is a solo piano composition commissioned by pianist Melody S Quah.

I find Minakari an elegant, delicate, and sophisticated form of art and I am mesmerized by the beauty that these detailed oriented colorful geometric patterns create.

The first time I talked to Melody, she had a similar impression on me: a pianist with an elegant, delicate, and sophisticated personality. Her piano performance was not different. Therefore, I decided to use characteristics of Minakari as my source of inspiration for this composition.

Minakari is the art of miniature painting and coloring on ceramics and metal. The word Minakari has two parts: Mina and Kari. “Mina” is associated with the word Minoo (a feminine name) meaning heaven. It is also defined as the blue sky in Farsi. The design usually has bright colors primarily blue and detailed geometric patterns with small variations.