Reflecting on a Robust August
This past month of August has truly been a whirlwind of activity, reflection, and growth. As we move into September, I’m taking a moment to look back on the powerful conversations and moments that have shaped this month—both in my art practice and in the broader world of activism and community engagement.
Conversations on Gaza and Solidarity
Early in the month, I started by discussing the Gaza Freedom Flotilla and voices like Chris Smalls who have been part of these justice-centered journeys. It set the tone for a month that deeply intertwined art and activism. I also shared reflections on a powerful debate betw by Amanda Seales (representing the Black radical tradition), a fellow artist and pro-Palestinian advocate and 20 Black conservatives. Amanda’s framing of herself as an artist-intellectual resonated with me deeply because I, too, find myself constantly in dialogue with academic spaces. I’m often invited to speak about Malcolm X and engage with scholars, yet always from the perspective of an artist. This intersection of art and intellectual activism is a space I cherish.
Art as Refuge and Connection
Throughout August, I also reflected on the idea of art as a refuge. In blog posts like “Hope, Not Just Aid: Art, Palestine, and the Tradition We Carry,” I explored the unique solidarity that Black communities have with Palestine and how art can serve as a space of healing and connection. I talked about historical connections, like the old train routes from Cairo to Jerusalem, and how colonialism shaped the geographies we navigate. This month, as I began paining a new series at the request of my children and inspired by the conversation on love, community and transformation I that I feel is really at the heart of debates in the Black community – I also emphasized that even in difficult times, art is a form of love and joy, and it’s a way to cultivate hope.
Exploring Innovative Exhibition Formats in Doha
Another highlight of this month was visiting Mathaf on the final day of Wafaa Al Hamad’s Sites of Imagination exhibition. Seeing the landmark first exhibition of a Qatari female artist Mathaf and the monumental Film exhibition – Your Ghosts Are Mine: Expanded Cinemas, Amplified Voices was exciting for me to witness. I only learned that this exhibition had initially been presented at the Venice Biennale after seeing it (actually, while writing this blog). The film exhibition really did expand my thinking concerning exhibition formats. I felt fully immersed and engaged in the environment of the films- not just as individual works, but also as spacial conversations. It all felt like movement.
I probably spent 4 or 5 hours in the museum just engaging with these two exhibitions, and I would have liked to have gone back again to see the film exhibition in particular. I feel really privaledged to have been able to see that show- just 10 minutes away from where I live in Doha. that there are so many innovative ways to present artwork, especially when thinking about how to engage audiences in a deep and meaningful way. My Close to Home show was also a fully immersive exhibition format and this experience has inspired me to experiment even more with the formats I use in my own upcoming exhibitions, considering new ways to create immersive, spiritually uplifting and thought-provoking experiences for viewers.
Planting Seeds: Looking Ahead to September and Beyond
The summer here in Doha is rather long and very hot. So, as opposed to the US, it’s not a time when you really want to be outside seeing people and doing things. It’s a time when most people are away and now just returning. My kids are back in school as of this week, so this month allows me even more time in the studio during the daytime, and a new routine. As we shift into September, I’m excited about the seeds I’m planting. I’ve been allowing myself to experiment with color in a different way and materials. For several months, I feel like Ive been toying with ideas, just letting myself paint in the way that feels right. Not making a thing or a work specifically. This has been my process for a long time. Just like nurturing a garden indoors in the Doha heat, some projects need time to grow before they flourish outside.
At this moment however, I feel like I’m also ready to I’m also returning to something familiar and exciting – my Fitra painting series, to continue in the next chapter in this body of work. I’m also planning upcoming exhibitions for 2026 and even 2027. I’e even toying with the idea of offering art workshops in my Doha Art Salon for women here who are interested in expressing themselves more deeply and freely. InshaAllah these workshops will focus on both technique, concepts, and the stories of women artists – creating a dialogue between theory, practice, our personal lives and the power of artistic expression. If you are interested in something like this, let me know. It’s a new thing, but it’s a dialogue I find myself having often with my older sister and I feel like more people would benefit from seeing and experiencing art as a tool for expression, personal growth and deep connection.
So, as we step into September, I’m looking forward to continuing this journey—continuing to plant seeds, to foster spaces of refuge and love through art, and to keep these conversations alive. Thank you for being part of this journey with me. We’ve literally been all over the world together in this blog. It continues to be a joy to share my artwork work more widely and see how it resonates with so many of you. For example, my Malcolm X in Turban print began as a dye sublimation aluminum print in my Close to Home exhibition, and is now a limited edition print shared in the home of many of you in celebration of his centennial year, alhumdulilah.