Oil pigment stick on raw canvas
Each Canvas: 82” x 47” (214 x 120 cm)

I often wonder where I can find traces or our ancestors in this fleeting world. I believe that if they lie anywhere, it must be in the rocks, the soil, the rain and the trees. Through interacting with these large boulders, I meditate on the relationship between spirit and matter. The canvas and paint become a kind of conduit, opening a channel to the countless generations of both human and non-human ancestors.

My gestures interpret and translate the stories told by these stones, my marks visualizing their journeys on this earth. I work in remembrance of them, striving to honor their sacrifices and pain, but also their beauty and grace.

Each of these rubbings were taken from rocky outcroppings in Wadi Shawka, a mountainous landscape north of Dubai. These works were created for an exhibition at The Third Line, Dubai.

Photo credit Ismail Noor
Courtesy of the artist and The Third Line, Dubai