Exhibiting at The Smile Within, showing on the joint stand (H94) of the BDA Benevolent Fund and Bridge2aid at The British Dental Conference & Dentistry Show (NEC Birmingham) on 15th & 16th May during Mental Health Awareness Week.
Palwasha Rafi is a dentist and painter whose work is rooted in presence, gentleness and the quiet power of noticing.
“So many people in dentistry quietly make art,” she reflects. “It feels important to create space for that.”
A Return to Art for Wellbeing
Palwasha began painting regularly in 2017 during the final years of dental school. What started as a hobby quickly became a form of self‑care. She found it is a way to slow down, spend time with herself, and step back from perfectionism.
“I paint for the joy of it,” she explains. “It’s about letting go of the need for things to be perfect and enjoying the process instead.”
Working with a simple sketchbook and watercolours, Palwasha intentionally keeps her practice small and accessible, often painting at her kitchen or dining table.
This simplicity is central to her philosophy: creativity should feel welcoming, not intimidating.
“Everyone is creative,” she says. “You don’t need a studio or expensive materials. You just start, see how it feels, and allow yourself to enjoy it.”
A Quiet Bloom – Featured Collection
Palwasha is exhibiting four original watercolour paintings as part of a small collection titled A Quiet Bloom.
The works are intentionally intimate in scale, inviting the viewer to come closer and linger.
Using layered washes, impressionistic brushstrokes and a soft spring palette, Palwasha paints not to capture nature perfectly, but to convey how it feels to be present within it.
Her work is inspired by seasonal shifts, quiet transitions, and moments that might otherwise pass unnoticed.
She draws influence from Impressionism, particularly Claude Monet’s later work, where emotion, colour and atmosphere take precedence over clarity or detail.
Featured artwork: Whispers of Water
Minimum bid: £30
The swan rests within a moment of near stillness. The water holds and reflects its beautiful surroundings without disturbance. Time feels slowed and gently suspended on this dreamy spring day. A reminder that stillness can carry its own quiet depth and grace.
- Watercolour on paper, framed in an ornate gold-painted resign frame.
- Dimensions: 21 x 15 x 2cms
Featured artwork: Gentle Meadow
Minimum bid: £30
Wild daisies are everywhere across the country during spring. There is a natural ease in the way they grow- untamed, unstructured and often overlooked. This piece invites you to look closely and find calm in the gentle rhythm of nature’s simplest forms.
- Watercolour on paper, framed in an ornate gold-painted resign frame.
- Dimensions: 20 x 16 x 3cms
Featured artwork: Soft Landing
Minimum bid: £30
The bird settles lightly amongst blossoms, its presence gentle, almost weightless. It is only a fleeting moment till she takes off again. Even the most transient moments hold a sense of arrival if we allow ourselves to notice them.
- Watercolour on paper, framed in an ornate gold-painted resign frame.
- Dimensions: 16 x 14 x 2cms
Featured artwork: Returning Light
Minimum bid: £30
The start of spring; the warmth begins to return after the short, dark days of winter and the landscape slowly awakens. It is not a sudden change but a gradual unfolding- light gathering, colour reappearing. This work reflects the reassurance of renewal, the quiet persistence of light, even after the longest seasons of darkness.
- Watercolour on paper, framed in an ornate gold-painted resin frame.
- Dimensions: 20 x 15 x 2cms
Dentistry, Presence and Care
For Palwasha, painting supports mental wellbeing in a profession that requires constant performance and emotional availability.
“In dentistry, you have to show up — even when you’re tired,” she reflects. “Looking after yourself means you can show up better for others.”
Long winter days, clinical environments lit by artificial light, and the pressure of patient care can make self‑care feel distant. Painting offers an antidote: mindfulness, grounding, and a way to reconnect. Her creative practice also extends into family life, with her young daughter painting alongside her, reinforcing the idea that creativity is natural, playful and shared.
Living Between Worlds
Living in the UAE has brought a new rhythm to Palwasha’s life, but also a sense of longing for the seasons she paints so often. That absence has deepened her appreciation for cycles of change, return and renewal; themes that quietly underpin A Quiet Bloom.
She continues to learn and explore, currently following a self‑paced landscape painting course and working from photographs and memory.
“I always feel like a beginner,” she says; a mindset she embraces with curiosity rather than pressure.
A Gentle Invitation
Palwasha hopes her work encourages others, particularly those in dentistry, to soften expectations of themselves.
“Do something purely for the joy of it,” she suggests. “Not for improvement. Not for results. Just to enjoy the act.”
In The Smile Within, her paintings offer exactly that: a pause, a breath, a moment of quiet connection.
More About Palwasha
Palwasha has 4 exhibits featured in The Smile Within. To find out more about her art, you can follow her on Instagram:
Meet the other Artists
Below is a selection of other featured artists. Click on the links to see their artwork submissions, each deeply connected to mindfulness and mental wellbeing.
Join us at The Smile Within art exhibition in May and make a difference, one pledge, one piece of art, one smile at a time.
We look forward to seeing you there.
The online auction website is now live. You can bid on the artwork online, as well as at the event.
Online bidding ends at 3:45 pm on 16 May. The winning bidder can collect their artwork on Saturday, 16 May, from the stand after 4 pm. If you (or a trusted friend) are unable to take your piece with you, we’re happy to arrange delivery. Please note that postage and packaging costs will be added and confirmed after purchase.
