A place of gathering, now left folded and still.
I was no longer tripping on piles of shib shibs in the doorway
Or smothered with hugs, kisses and cheek pinches.
An abundance of simultaneous laughter, yelling, children crying, and Al Jazeera reports
Now replaced with the subtle whispers of leftover tinsel from Ramadan past off the balcony.
As prayer calls echo, it occurred to me that the revolution would mark my last taste of molokhia.
"Al-Atlal الأطلال”, which translates to “The Ruins”, is an exhibition that features redefined prayer rugs and various iterations referencing the monobloc chair. The work is a reflection of the material relationship of the interior and exterior domestic spaces of Sourour's upbringing in Cairo, Egypt. Grappling with themes of loss, both personal and the collective grief felt throughout the Middle East due to occupation, genocide and colonial imperialism. The viewer is invited into a space that accents ordinary characteristics of Arab lifestyle. Yet, despite the dehumanization and trauma that is imposed with being Arab there's a resilience rooted in the heart that endures an unyielding resistance.
Sayeda Misa Sourour is an Egyptian interdisciplinary artist from New Jersey, currently based in Chicago, Illinois.
With an emphasis on woodworking, Sourour’s art practices traverse sculpture, installation, and performance. Inspired by her Middle Eastern and Western upbringing, she carefully selects, alters and combines culturally relevant objects to evoke uncanny sensory narratives. Though geometric, arabesque and post-modern designs, Sourour crafts the absences of human form while embodying the presence of spirit.