In my paintings, I present the notion of home as a layered context that both separates and connects the East and the West. Traditional motifs and aerial views of roofs intertwine in compositions that can no longer unravel the two. The spiritual and everyday realities of the two places, and the ways they infuse each other are not only an individual experience but also a social and cultural one. My work speaks about growing up in the dense urban centers of Middle Eastern cities and the suburban lifestyle that I uncovered since moving to the US in 2002. In merging forms, colors, and patterns, I aim to present the stark differences between the two and the ironic similarities that are hard to expect, even admit. Parallel to our identities, which are more often an aggregate construction of the social worlds we belong in, my elaborate landscapes take shape through small, seemingly endless pieces. At a first glance, these landscapes appear joyous, bursting with colors and bloom in a tapestry looking collage. The vibrantly flamboyant roofs, however, are oversized, lack walls, and have long shadows beneath them. Much like arabesque motifs, they are repetitive and limitless but for different reasons. They look monotonous, imposing, and ungrounded. Also in my paintings are the nights of Damascus summers that were full of stories. Jasmine whiffed with the breeze and we passed our hands by its overgrowing bloom on sidewalks as we strolled along. The days bustled. The moment you stepped outside, the city enfolded you in with its predictable greeting: sounds and chaos from every corner. When I moved to live here, the corners looked ready for a photograph. The curbs are clean, the plants are plucked, and the sun shone, but no one walked. The sidewalks, fresh and tidy, were untaken (if you don’t count the ducks). Here, we buy big houses. We pay to be isolated.
This personal, and admittedly poetic, critique is grounded in my training in architecture, urban design, and planning. I am an Associate Professor of Urban and Regional Planning at the California State Polytechnic University in Pomona, where I have been teaching since I finished my MFA from CalArts in 2015. Echoing a similar voice to that in the paintings, my teaching and research explore the qualities that make places livable, responsive, and meaningful. Through my Urban Design Studios, I collaborate with community organizations on projects that use art and creative placemaking and place-keeping as tools for building vibrant, resilient, and equitable communities.
