‘Longing and Belonging’

In an increasingly digital world, virtual interactions offer efficiency but often erode the tactile and emotional resonance of face-to-face human connection.

Drawing upon personal memory, this series revisits the artist’s childhood experiences of hospitality, moments in which gestures of welcome, care, and intimacy sowed and
nurtured the seeds of love.

Inspired by an ancient Fatimid text that traces love’s progression from seed to tree, the series of six artworks map parallel stages of hospitality, depicting how acts of welcome evolve into deeper states of longing and belonging.

3. Dunu, Qurb — Drawing Closer

“…For the lover’s desire and aim is always to draw near to that person.”

Hyacinths signal Dunu and Qurb: the act of drawing near. After the meal, the guest moves into the drawing room, where qahwa (Arabic coffee) and paan (betel leaves) are served. Light conversation, jokes and laughter dissolve formality; hospitality transitions from social ritual to emotional closeness.