“My Lord, before Your door I stand with hands outstretched.

Who else is there to turn to but You, my steadfast refuge?”

When I began working on this exhibition in 2023, the concept quickly became clear to me: navigating the complexities of growing up in a mixed-faith household and the emotions and imagery that experience evoked. My direct and extended families come from different faiths and sects, and my parents never imposed a specific religion on me. Instead, we celebrated all holidays and feasts, which left a vast space for exploration, but also brought about personal contradictions.

My views on faith constantly shift and evolve, shaped by an overarching spirituality rooted in monotheism and influenced by Catholic and Maronite teachings, Protestantism, and Islam. In a sectarian country like Lebanon, where religion is deeply intertwined with identity, my fluctuating perspectives often led to further confusion. Through my art, I’ve drawn on both my understanding and lack of understanding of Christianity and Islam, exploring my perceptions, interpretations, and experiences of these faiths.

In September of last year, I lost my grandmother, who raised me. Her death was one of my greatest fears, a theme I explored in depth in my previous exhibition, Now And At The Hour Of Our Death. Her passing shook the foundations of my being. Being Palestinian, she was my connection to Palestine, a place I experienced through her stories, mannerisms, and accent. Just a month later, Operation Al-Aqsa Flood erupted, forever altering our lives, the region, and the world at large. These events have inevitably brought new meaning to my exploration of my mixed-faith upbringing and identity, particularly the notions of grief, resistance, martyrdom, and life after death.

The lines at the beginning of this text are from a religious poem sung by Sheikh Naqshabandy, reflecting deep supplication and reliance on God's mercy. The poem is a plea for divine help, symbolizing humility and dependence on God's benevolence. Both Christians and Muslims turn to God for consolation, reassurance, and strength during hardship, as well as for gratitude and joy during times of happiness. At the heart of the themes I explore in these works is the reliance on God in both life and death.