The corner: Sameera Raja

Sameera Raja, a trained architect and the founder of Canvas Gallery welcomes us into her beloved living room

Sameera Raja, a trained architect and the founder of Canvas Gallery in Karachi welcomes us into her special corner — her beloved living room, adorned with intriguing artwork and vibrant hues

Sameera Raja is a busy woman; she spends most of her time working at her gallery. However, whenever she does have free time to herself at home, she enjoys spending it in her favourite corner, her living room. Walking into this space we immediately feel a sense of calm. Enclosed by art and colours, the space is as vibrant as it is cosy. She tells us that one of the reasons why she loves this room is because this is where she takes the load off her long, busy days and unwinds, away from the stress of her daily routine. “My living room is the first point of entry for me every morning when I wake up,” she shares. Whether she’s reading the newspaper or looking through her large glass windows, admiring the view, this corner is her perfect escape. She elaborates: “I hardly entertain at home because I am at the gallery most of the time, so this space is for me.”



Her favourite spot in this corner is her blood-red velvet couch, on which she loves to admire the fascinating pieces of art that surround her. Raja shares some fond memories created in this room, such as the time she has spent here with her son. She dotingly recalls how in his childhood, her son would pronounce the name Quddus, the artist of one of his favourite paintings in the room, as “Qadoos”.



The corner is adorned extensively, be it with a variety of unique artwork or vivacious pieces of furniture. So we can’t help but ask, which one piece is her favourite? But choosing only one piece is hard for Raja. It comes down to a stunning helmet by Adeela Suleman and what she calls her ‘miniature wall’, a spot featuring the work of many artists such as Aisha Khalid and Imran Qureshi. Raja also adds, that the chairs by architect Zahra Ebrahim and her centre piece table by Arshad Faruqui are dear to her. “I’m very non-sentimental about material things, but all of my artwork has special significance to me,” she adds.

When asked about the first piece she bought for this corner, Raja points to the six Meher Afroz paintings, which hang on her wall, and small traditional statues she bought from Bali 15 years ago.



“I love jewel tones and deep reds, basically,” she states. As Raja has very eclectic sensibilities, she doesn’t feel the need to follow a specific colour palette, because she feels everything finds its place after you buy it. All her knick-knacks and paintings are given a special spot in the room, and were not bought with a specific design theme in mind. “I buy what I like and I enjoy being around it, which is why I am able to sit here for hours and feel great comfort,” she concludes.