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The heartache of divorce and the turmoil it caused has been used to great effect by artist Mona Shaker to create a series of powerful portraits and dramatic drawings which have gone on display this week.
Entitled Fresh Art Exhibition it features 30 pieces of work including an interpretation of the world's most famous painting, her namesake the Mona Lisa.
It is being held at La Maison Jamsheer in Muharraq until May 2. Single mother Mona, 35, from Riffa, said: "I was given a copy of the Mona Lisa and like everyone was spellbound by the woman's smile.
It is a smile that comes through pain - you can see the sadness in her eyes."
It is probably the same pain Mona suffered after an unhappy marriage.
She was born in Sudan, raised in England and moved to the island 20 years ago with her Sudanese father, Egyptian mother and siblings.
Although an art enthusiast from childhood, Mona, a specialist IT teacher at Naseem International School, set up her easel and began to paint intensely as an outlet for her anger and frustrations while going through a divorce in 2007.
She said: "I had so much hurt inside of me and I used painting as a medium to let it all out. It soon became my passion."
Her first painting was of a lady with a shawl for which she used torn bits of her wedding shawl pasted on the canvas to express her fury.
All her paintings depict intensity in a range of subjects including animals, the elements to traditionally-clad Arab women.
Her collection also includes collages, such as her depiction of the 16th Century Mona Lisa by Italian artist Leonardo Da Vinci.
Mona held her first exhibition in November with two well-known Bahraini artists Abbas Al Mousawi and Aqeel Al Durazi.
She said: "It was such an honour to exhibit my work alongside such great artists.
"I never thought anyone would even as glance at my corner, but I received such warm comments and compliments, it was amazing.
"It personally made me feel a lot better. Since then I have learned to move on in life and I have even decided what I want to in my life - I want to do art!"
Mona hopes to one day own a home to share with her six-year-old son, Momen, and also to set up a studio.
Each painting that is showcased at the event will feature a few verses of Arabic poetry that she has composed.
Her paintings are priced between BD30 and BD120.
To view her work, check out her Facebook page, Mona's Art Lounge.
