In an attempt to create modern-traditional works that would reflect on his Iranian identity, Arabshahi draws from the visual elements of Persian traditional decorative art. Inspired by the motifs of Achaemeniad and Assyrian dynasties, and by Babylonian rock carving and scripts, Arabshahi's work conforms to the aesthetic characteristics of the Saqqakhaneh school. However, he remains the only artist of the Saqqakhaneh school who did not adopt religious-folk art in his work.