Al-Khor City Late 1960s (Qatar)
Nine pastel paintings made in 2016 and 2017.
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From Text to Painting
In this collection, I turn selected passages from Arabic literature into painted scenes. I made its first two works for Qatar Reads' "Fables in Fashion": a painting drawn from Al-Hariri's Maqamat in 2025, followed by one from Al-Rafi'i's Wahy al-Qalam in 2026.
The text supplies the subject of the painting. I use visual references, including photographs of historic buildings and Orientalist paintings, for the architecture, clothing and atmosphere of the scene. In these two works, the background colour itself forms the shadows, with white used sparingly for the highlights. The choice of colour and arrangement of the figures also contribute to the meaning of each painting.
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On view
Who Among You Will Relieve the Pangs of Hunger?
Who Among You Will Relieve the Pangs of Hunger?
Who Among You Will Relieve the Pangs of Hunger?
2025 · Acrylic, pastel and wax colours on cotton canvas · 30 × 48 inches
Exhibited at "Fables in Fashion 2025", presented by Qatar Reads in collaboration with M7, Doha.
2025 · Acrylic, pastel and wax colours on cotton canvas · 30 × 48 inches
Exhibited at "Fables in Fashion 2025", presented by Qatar Reads in collaboration with M7, Doha.
Who among you will relieve the pangs of hunger?
Al-Hariri, the Maghribi Maqama
I chose this title for my painting from al-Hariri's Maghribi Maqama. I made the painting in 2025, at a time when people in Gaza were enduring famine. It began with a question of my own: if al-Hariri were among us today, what message would he offer? The line struck me as one that could speak directly to our present moment, as though it had been written for it. The painting therefore became a human and moral appeal that moves beyond the original historical setting of the text and continues to speak across time.
In the painting, Abu Zayd al-Saruji, the protagonist of al-Hariri's Maqamat, adopts a pose that recalls Handala, the character created by Palestinian cartoonist Naji al-Ali, who died in 1987. I drew on this stance for the sense of silent witness and steadfastness it conveys to me. A photograph of the Alhambra in Granada provided a reference for the arches and ornamentation, while the clothing was inspired by Yahya ibn Mahmud al-Wasiti's illustrations of al-Hariri's Maqamat. By bringing together the literary text, these visual references and the allusion to Handala, I wanted to show that al-Hariri's words do not belong to one time alone, but continue to address human concerns across different periods.
Who among you will relieve the pangs of hunger?
Al-Hariri, the Maghribi Maqama
I chose this title for my painting from al-Hariri's Maghribi Maqama. I made the painting in 2025, at a time when people in Gaza were enduring famine. It began with a question of my own: if al-Hariri were among us today, what message would he offer? The line struck me as one that could speak directly to our present moment, as though it had been written for it. The painting therefore became a human and moral appeal that moves beyond the original historical setting of the text and continues to speak across time.
In the painting, Abu Zayd al-Saruji, the protagonist of al-Hariri's Maqamat, adopts a pose that recalls Handala, the character created by Palestinian cartoonist Naji al-Ali, who died in 1987. I drew on this stance for the sense of silent witness and steadfastness it conveys to me. A photograph of the Alhambra in Granada provided a reference for the arches and ornamentation, while the clothing was inspired by Yahya ibn Mahmud al-Wasiti's illustrations of al-Hariri's Maqamat. By bringing together the literary text, these visual references and the allusion to Handala, I wanted to show that al-Hariri's words do not belong to one time alone, but continue to address human concerns across different periods.
The Revival of the Arab Lands
The Revival of the Arab Lands
The Revival of the Arab Lands
2026 · Acrylic, pastel and wax colours on cotton canvas · 30 × 40 inches
2026 · Acrylic, pastel and wax colours on cotton canvas · 30 × 40 inches
On view at "Fables in Fashion 2026", National Museum of Qatar, Doha, until 28 November 2026.
On view at "Fables in Fashion 2026", National Museum of Qatar, Doha, until 28 November 2026.
Hearts and minds are the foundation of true and enduring revival
Mustafa Sadiq al-Rafi'i, "Nahdat al-Aqtar al-Arabiyya", in Wahy al-Qalam
This painting begins with al-Rafi'i's statement, "Hearts and minds are the foundation of true and enduring revival", from his essay "Nahdat al-Aqtar al-Arabiyya" in Wahy al-Qalam. I translated my reading of this line into a symbolic scene at al-Azhar Mosque in 1930s Egypt, exploring the role of knowledge and values in resisting colonial domination and building lasting renewal.
In the foreground, scholars study books and manuscripts, while an armed British soldier stands in the background. I did not intend to record a particular historical event, but to express a confrontation between knowledge, which develops human potential, and occupation, which seeks to subdue it. I therefore made the study circle and the books the focus of the composition, placing the soldier behind them to convey the pressure surrounding the scene.
I drew on historical photographs of al-Azhar for the architecture, the atmosphere of study, and the seated figures' clothing and posture. For the soldier's appearance, I used a photograph of British troops from around that period.
I chose the red background to express the intensity of conflict and the pressures of the period, while also associating it with the flame of knowledge and the warmth of hearts. I used white sparingly to bring out the figures and books against the red, emphasising the role of knowledge amid upheaval. Through these choices, the painting asks: how can a true and enduring revival be built in times of crisis?
Hearts and minds are the foundation of true and enduring revival
Mustafa Sadiq al-Rafi'i, "Nahdat al-Aqtar al-Arabiyya", in Wahy al-Qalam
This painting begins with al-Rafi'i's statement, "Hearts and minds are the foundation of true and enduring revival", from his essay "Nahdat al-Aqtar al-Arabiyya" in Wahy al-Qalam. I translated my reading of this line into a symbolic scene at al-Azhar Mosque in 1930s Egypt, exploring the role of knowledge and values in resisting colonial domination and building lasting renewal.
In the foreground, scholars study books and manuscripts, while an armed British soldier stands in the background. I did not intend to record a particular historical event, but to express a confrontation between knowledge, which develops human potential, and occupation, which seeks to subdue it. I therefore made the study circle and the books the focus of the composition, placing the soldier behind them to convey the pressure surrounding the scene.
I drew on historical photographs of al-Azhar for the architecture, the atmosphere of study, and the seated figures' clothing and posture. For the soldier's appearance, I used a photograph of British troops from around that period.
I chose the red background to express the intensity of conflict and the pressures of the period, while also associating it with the flame of knowledge and the warmth of hearts. I used white sparingly to bring out the figures and books against the red, emphasising the role of knowledge amid upheaval. Through these choices, the painting asks: how can a true and enduring revival be built in times of crisis?