30 March 2025

Dr Barbara Johnson, a scholar in Global Education and a dedicated advocate for justice, peace, and unity, has offered a critical review of The Essence and The Essence: Shadows collections by Nasim Yazdani. Dr Johnson serves as the lead editor for Tender Branches Press, a division of Loving All the World, Inc., a not-for-profit organisation that engages children, families, and communities with resources and initiatives to promote justice and service. Her work focuses on empowering children to embrace diversity, serve humanity, and work towards a more peaceful world.

Dr Barbara Johnson

In her review, Dr Johnson reflects the depth and impact of Yazdani’s work:

‘Nasim Yazdani’s love for the world and all people who make the earth our home takes focus in her collection of paintings. In her collection, The Essence, we clearly see the light of the human spirit as well as its shadow; her latest collections seem to highlight potential even while facing the darker aspects of human experience; and her Symphony of Features shows the beauty in every person: truly a collection of poems for the eye. But my favourite of all Ms Yazdani’s work is her work for children. Her illustrations show entirely different aspects of the artist’s talent as she portrays the shining potential of the child. This is an artist to watch!

Ms Yazdani’s abstract paintings explore the concepts of light and darkness as they pertain to the human experience, with implications for human relationships in their positive and negative possibilities, and returning always to the promise of connection. The abstractions invite the viewer to experience the full range of possibilities within the individual and also clearly suggest the commonality of human experience, in which we find ourselves as members of the same human family. The suggestion of leaves in her paintings broadens the depiction of human experience within the self and within relationships, to include the possibility of life in harmony with the natural world.

Yazdani’s art is not limited to her work as a painter. Her painterly eye and hand extend her gifts to the world’s children with a clear invitation to move forward into the light, collaborating with others to create a world of peace, justice, and unity. Her work reflects her dedication to her craft, her exploration of human experiences, and a call to transcendence. She accompanies us in our collective endeavours to see the truth in ourselves and in the world, to reconcile this tension, and to take a next step together.’

Nasim Yazdani, The Essence – Shadows 2402, 2025, Acrylic on canvas, 80 x 60 cm

Dr Johnson’s expertise in global education and her deep commitment to fostering unity and justice make her perspective particularly meaningful. Her thoughtful critique affirms the depth of Yazdani’s artistic vision and situates her work within a broader global conversation about art’s role in shaping a more unified world. Her words serve as both recognition and encouragement, further cementing Yazdani’s place as an influential artist whose work is making a lasting impact.

More about Nasim Yazdani’s artistic journey and latest works can be found on her official website: nasimyazdani.com.