ARTWORKS
SELECTED WORK
'I water my flowers every morning'
2021
stainless steel, metal coating
Sharjah Islamic Arts Festival
Sharjah Art Museum, UAE
‘I water my flowers every morning’ offers a self-narrative commentary into the artist’s journey of growth, and presents the discourse within a spatial experience for others to reflect on. The artist examines the notion of growth as a cumulative process that is amplified by oneself and the environment, a process that is directionless and proceeds holistically. The installation reaffirms growth from a phenomenological point of view, a process that is organically comprised by one’s experiences, with enough freedom to dictate it.
‘I water my flowers every morning’ is a series of handmade reflective steel sculptures that are contextually reformed by the colors present in the room. Each piece is manipulated by different degrees of folding which in turn enhances the way the piece reflects the environment.
As a person approaches each piece, the reflections that appear on the pieces differ, the direct self reflection that one expects to see is no longer as straightforward as one would expect, one has to experiment, explore, and discover his or her reflection, whilst stumbling across different delightful shapes that appear.
The pieces channel the artist’s innermost thoughts and challenge his constant need to achieve perfection. It is a personal experiment of pouring oneself into the process, in a constant flow between perfecting and reflecting, hand making each piece organically. The artist uses these pieces to unlearn his tendencies to constantly define and perfect each phase of life. The pieces therefore represent his willingness to surrender to the unknown and to just let things be perceived rather than defined.
'Unity|Growth'
2021
Stainless Steel
In collaboration with Noor Alwan
Permanent Installation
Flag Island Sharjah, UAE
“The tree of the Union is bearing more fruit, its roots are extending, and its goodness is overflowing; and this tree shall so remain for all future generations.”
Inspired by the above quote from the Founding Father Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the proposed installations depict the notions of “unity and growth”, both installations speak to each other, while one installation represents unity, the other installation shows flourishment and growth as a result of unity.
‘Unity’ emphasizes the concept of unity through layering interdependent units, where each unit’s stability depends on the other unit for strength. When one unit is taken away from the installation, the stability of the installation is compromised. The resulting form symbolises an abstract deconstructed flower.
‘Growth’ which speaks of growth is made up of an iteration of 7 of the same units that represent pages from the unity constitution. The form created represents an abstract flourishing flower with its petals opened up. Both installations utilize one unit to represent the power and endless opportunities when these units are formed together.
'Seven nights, two nights, and one night'
2020
(Tara) Percussion Instrument, Acrylic
In collaboration with Noor Alwan
Mawall Art Exhibition
Bahrain International Airport
Kingdom of Bahrain
This art piece represents a song that speaks about the countdown to the bride's day to join her husband's house. The song is represented by the projection of thirty traditional Bahraini percussion instrument Tara with the moon cycle painted upon them. The art installation whimsically represents the song by combining the moon cycle, which is the traditional means of measuring time and days, superimposed on the celebratory Tara.
'Toab Toab Ya Bahar'
2020
Dead Palm Tree Leaves, Spray Paint
In collaboration with Noor Alwan
Mawall Art Exhibition
Bahrain International Airport
Kingdom of Bahrain
This art piece is inspired by a song sung by women on the shore to bid the men going to the sea farewell. Its been said that the title of the song calls out for the sea to repent. Women, back in the day, gathered palm tree leaves and wood and used it to start a fire prior to singing the song. This song represents the strength and defensive demeanor that women put on as a means of threatening and scaring the sea with fire, to ensure the safe return of their men. This installation depicts this song by gathering palm tree leaves in a sculptural manner, painted with a gradient of red to represent the burning leaves and to depict a moment of time within this song.
'what(a)rainbow'
2020
Laser Engraved Acrylic Sheets
In collaboration with Noor Alwan
Mawall Art Exhibition
Bahrain International Airport
Kingdom of Bahrain
'Whatrainbow' is an art piece that symbolises the traditional rituals that celebrate new brides in the "jelwa" celebrations. Inspired by Whatrainbow, a traditional Bahraini song that is sung in Jelwas, this art piece tells a story of the origins of the song.
Whatrainbow a colloquial bahraini term symbolises a song that is sung while women in the traditional Jelwa wave pieces of colourful cloth upon the bride's head representative of the colours eventually merging into white. The origins of the term comes from a segment of a foreign song that goes "White rainbow while you and me". This is a great depiction of Bahrain's heritage being a melting pot of different layers of culture woven together. The art piece is depicted by different acrylic pieces of different colours placed upon each other with traditional embellishment found on the Jelwa garment Jalabeya engraved on them.
'The Climb'
2019
Stainless Steel
Bahrain 45th Annual Fine Arts Exhibition
Kingdom of Bahrain
’The Climb’ installation is a reflection of the constant struggle of the artist’s life; one who’s caught up in his dreams. Looking upward or downward, the mirrors give the viewer the illusion that the ladder is infinite. The climb is never-ending.
The aim of the work is to shed light on the subject of self-actualization, where one can lose sense of reality because of the constant pursuit of dreams. At times, despite the past, and in spite of the future, movement of the self can cease. It’s a state where you no longer know how far you’ve come or how much farther you have to go. A constant state of movement towards the unknown, the endless run, and the struggle to achieve leaves you lost, anxious, and mentally drained.
'Chair(s)'
2019
School Chairs, Metal Plating
In collaboration with Shepherd Studio
Bahrain 45th Annual Fine Arts Exhibition
Kingdom of Bahrain
‘Chair(s)’ installation intends to provoke thought, shedding light on the notion of self actualization through a family of school chairs. The series of chairs echo nostalgic gestures, triggering sentimental moments such as balancing a chair on its two feet: a moment where one feels ungrounded, free, and can be seen as a signal to explore ones own character.
Through this lens, the aim is to reimagine the connotation of a school chair which has often been associated with the act of ‘sit & listen’, to an object which can be used as motivation to display ones own individuality, and to inspire learning through playfulness.
'Blessed Tree'
2019
Dead Palm Tree Trunks, Spray Paint
Temporary Site Specific Installation
Pertinacity Public Art Exhibition
Kingdom of Bahrain
Of all the stories spoken about the old house, the blessed palm tree is one that resonates with us most. The palm tree graces the courtyard of the house. The courtyard used to be a community space for the entire neighbourhood and the palm tree witnessed all the talks, exchanges, and stories that took place. As one of the members of the family tells It, one day, the palm tree prostrated in submission to prayer and never stood again.
The blessed tree is an installation that celebrates this palm tree for the people it brought together. They are public seating, painted in Yellow to highlight the urgency of the lack of public spaces, and engulfed within plastic to talk about how social spaces as we know them today are contrived, and the informal social spaces are diminishing. They also speak of the need for preserving greenery with the increasing lack of public spaces in Manama and the deterioration of trees.
'(Baqa'a) The persistence of memory'
2019
Neon, Acrylic
In collaboration with Ishaaq Madan
Temporary Site Specific Installation
Kingdom of Bahrain
The artwork sheds light on the notion of persisting memories. The empty spaces, the ruins, are the true spaces of memory. They trigger true feelings and echo heavy emotions within one’s self; leaving us in a state of conscious unconsciousness, lost between the memory of space and the space of memory in our minds.