6th century Arabian poet Imru al-Qais once wrote, “A night like sea wave drapes me with all sorts of trouble/A night whose stars are tethered to solid stone with linen ropes.” This line encapsulates the magic and mystery conveyed in illustrator/painter Zahra Marwan’s upcoming show A Night Like Sea Waves. Marwan’s new watercolor illustrations are steeped in her Middle Eastern heritage, including ancient fortune telling, Muslim motifs and her vibrant cultural and familal history rooted in Kuwait. “I’m deeply fond of the sea’s mysteries,” she tells SFR. “It kind of scares me. How it moves in all directions and all the life underneath that we can’t see. I love the ways the colors change through the day from greens to blues and bright turquoise.”