May Makia

May Makia holds a Bachelor of Architectural Studies from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and a Master’s degree in Islamic Architecture and Urban Planning from Qatar Foundation. She has also studied Arabic Kufic calligraphy, along with traditional Islamic art techniques, which continue to inform her visual practice. She is an Iraqi-Canadian architect and artist whose work explores the intersection of architecture, Arabic calligraphy, and cultural memory. Born and raised in Doha and shaped by her Iraqi heritage and multicultural background, she creates compositions that examine the relationship between text, form, and spatial structure through a contemporary lens, where the meaning of the text is reflected in the composition of her paintings. Influenced by Islamic geometry, architectural rhythm, and Arabic script, her work reflects themes of identity, spirituality, and cultural continuity.