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Artist. Urban sketcher. Curious traveller. Believer in the art of the pause.
I sketch because it makes me pause.
I sketch because it makes me pause.
There’s something rather wonderful about sitting down in a place with a sketchbook.
There’s something rather wonderful about sitting down in a place with a sketchbook.
Suddenly, you notice things you might otherwise have walked straight past — the shape of a window, the colour of an old wall, the way people gather around a table, the little rhythms of everyday life.
Suddenly, you notice things you might otherwise have walked straight past — the shape of a window, the colour of an old wall, the way people gather around a table, the little rhythms of everyday life.
I’m Nina Zafar, an urban sketcher, portrait artist and creative educator based in Singapore. For me, sketching has become much more than making pictures. It’s a way to slow down, become completely present and connect more deeply with the places — and people — around me. By now, you may have noticed that I operate at the intersection of art, wellness and global cultures.
I’m Nina Zafar, an urban sketcher, portrait artist and creative educator based in Singapore. For me, sketching has become much more than making pictures. It’s a way to slow down, become completely present and connect more deeply with the places — and people — around me. By now, you may have noticed that I operate at the intersection of art, wellness and global cultures.
Why I created Sketch & Savour Uzbekistan
Why I created Sketch & Savour Uzbekistan
I love travelling. I love sketching. But what I treasure most are those moments when travel stops being about ticking off places and becomes something more personal.
I love travelling. I love sketching. But what I treasure most are those moments when travel stops being about ticking off places and becomes something more personal.
A conversation with someone you’ve just met. Sitting far longer than intended over a meal. Discovering an artist at work. Getting completely absorbed in a sketch. Laughing with people who were strangers only a few days earlier. I wanted to create a journey with room for all of that. Sketch & Savour Uzbekistan is my invitation to travel a little more slowly, look a little more closely, and come home with more than photographs. A visit to a foreign land through the lens of an artist, drawing on a deeper connection and immersion in the people and place.
A conversation with someone you’ve just met. Sitting far longer than intended over a meal. Discovering an artist at work. Getting completely absorbed in a sketch. Laughing with people who were strangers only a few days earlier. I wanted to create a journey with room for all of that. Sketch & Savour Uzbekistan is my invitation to travel a little more slowly, look a little more closely, and come home with more than photographs. A visit to a foreign land through the lens of an artist, drawing on a deeper connection and immersion in the people and place.
Uplifting the community through art
Uplifting the community through art
Back home in Singapore, I founded UrbanSketchPLUS, a community initiative that uses urban sketching to bring young people together through creativity, confidence and connection.
Back home in Singapore, I founded UrbanSketchPLUS, a community initiative that uses urban sketching to bring young people together through creativity, confidence and connection.
I also run sketching workshops for adults and children, and one of my greatest pleasures is watching someone who begins with “But I can’t draw” become completely absorbed in what they’re creating.
I also run sketching workshops for adults and children, and one of my greatest pleasures is watching someone who begins with “But I can’t draw” become completely absorbed in what they’re creating.
That same spirit sits at the heart of Sketch & Savour. There is no right way to fill a sketchbook, and no artistic standard you need to reach before you belong here.
That same spirit sits at the heart of Sketch & Savour. There is no right way to fill a sketchbook, and no artistic standard you need to reach before you belong here.
The art isn't the only thing I care about
The art isn't the only thing I care about
For more than two decades, my professional life has been centred on people - working in organisational development, learning, culture and team development.
That experience shapes the way I host Sketch & Savour. My teaching style is gentle, accessible and designed to make participants enjoy every part of the process.
I enjoy bringing small groups of diverse strangers together and watching as they magically find connections. This does not happen by chance, but through intentional group facilitation. I'll gently curate the journey so there's room to connect, laugh, learn from one another, and also retreat into your own space when you need it.
Because I really believe that some of the most memorable things we bring home from a journey aren't things at all. They're the connections we make along the way.
Come as you are.
Come as you are.
You might be an experienced urban sketcher. You might have bought a sketchbook three years ago and still be slightly afraid to draw on the first page. All are welcome.
You might be an experienced urban sketcher. You might have bought a sketchbook three years ago and still be slightly afraid to draw on the first page. All are welcome.
Bring your curiosity, your appetite, your sense of humour and a willingness to look at the world slowly for a while.
Bring your curiosity, your appetite, your sense of humour and a willingness to look at the world slowly for a while.
I’ll meet you in Uzbekistan :-)
I’ll meet you in Uzbekistan :-)
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