I am a multidisciplinary artist, writer and researcher based in Dubai. Born in Beirut, my experiences of displacement and belonging have shaped much of what I make and write about: identity, cultural memory, women’s stories, and what happens when people and histories are misrepresented or left out.

I make mixed-media paintings that bring together paint, fabric, embroidery, knitting, beads and other forms of handwork. I paint, stitch and build these materials onto the same surface, sometimes allowing fabric and thread to leave the canvas altogether.

This way of working comes from a question that has followed me for years: why have we learned to call one form of making art and another craft, and who decided where that line should be drawn?

But I also simply love what these materials do together. Paint meets thread, flat surfaces become three-dimensional, and fabric refuses to stop at the edge of the canvas. I love the textures, colours and unexpected combinations, and the freedom of moving beyond the boundaries of the canvas, literally as well as figuratively.

My art and research often begin with the same questions. My recent research focuses on Palestinian embroidery, or tatreez, and its changing meaning and presentation within Western museums. I have presented this research internationally, including at CAA and ICOM conferences.

I have worked in art and design for more than three decades and exhibited internationally. I also write about art, museums, textiles and cultural representation, as well as poetry that sometimes accompanies my visual work. I give talks, lead workshops, and chair and moderate panel discussions.

I believe in art as a vehicle for positive social change. Whether I am making, writing or researching, I keep coming back to what we have been taught to value, who decided, and what has been left out.

Collecting My Work

Selected original works are available through Saatchi Art or directly from my studio in Dubai. For availability, sales and studio visits, please get in touch.

I also welcome enquiries about talks, panels, interviews and other projects.