Artist Statement

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Our observation of the world starts at an early age, and awareness of all the information absorbed happens later on in life, which gives memories an essential role in forming our knowledge and how we feel about the world. For the Arab world, being an ‘other’ has become an indefinite reality, and the dimensions of this ‘otherness’ mostly lead to a lessening of the humanity that an Arab individual represents. Everything started when I decided to explore what happened the day I was born and if it shaped who I am now.

 

I was born in 1990, in a conservative society. Like any other kid from my generation remember when I first got introduced to TV. And most importantly, Saudi TV Channel 2. Which kind of somehow grew an admiration for American culture. When I was a kid, I always thought this channel's purpose was to teach us English. But if you ask me now, my answer is totally different.

 

We used to watch English cartoons on channel 2, and dubbed anime on channel 1. And the news was always a priority. Cartoons can be easily disrupted just because it’s time for the daily news.

 

It’s 2017 now, and it’s when I started to explore my own history, and I started to realise that the idea of the world about me as an Arab or a muslim is far away from what I expected.

 

While exploring archives from the West to discover content about the Middle East, I found that most records and documentaries were primarily political in nature. They focused mainly on topics like violence, refugees, and treaties that created borders, often leading to the displacement of people from their homelands. And from here I started to collect any object that I find online that is related to me in any way, direct or indirect, from war propaganda to comics, household, clothing, toys and random objects until I ended up buying my whole history from eBay.

 

In my practice, I picture a tapestry of images that shape and embody my identity. In my personal life, this is a blend of nostalgia and history, featuring logos, graphics and some collectables I have in my library. Each symbol in my artwork reflects a chapter of my journey as an artist. My daily bases routine influences my visual language, weaving together elements from my childhood and the media I engage with. By mixing these images, objects, and logos, I aim to motivate a sense of connection and reflection to my generation. I believe the platform that allows for any combination lies within, as some may not see a connection among the images I'm sharing. You are a medium that can connect anything with anything. This entire journey, which led you to bring these elements together, is a reflection of your identity! Identity is a subjective journey you've experienced and your unique capabilities within any culture you were born in; aside from heritage, it is the compilation that you chose to represent you.