INTERVIEW // 2024 Exhibitions Artist / Sayeda Misa Sourour
Comfort Station interviewed May 2024 Exhibition Artist, Sayeda Misa Sourour, about their show “Al-Atlal لالطألا”.
CS – Comfort Station
SMS – Sayeda Misa Sourour
Carpet 01: Western Imperialism in the Middle East
Sayeda Misa Sourour, 2023
Carpet, clay, concrete, glass, sand
80 x 64 x 1/2 in.
CS – You use “Al-Atlal لالطألا ”, which translates to “The Ruins”, as the title of this exhibition. What is your understanding of the relationship between the title and your works?
SMS – The title, "Al-Atlal," references a poem by the Egyptian poet Ibrahim Nagi that was later popularized by the singer Umm Kulthum. When I began this body of work, I drew inspiration from the material relationships surrounding my childhood home in Cairo, Egypt. When I returned to Cairo after the passing of several family members, I found the physical space unchanged. However, the absence of my loved ones was so present, creating a sense of liminality.
Over time, the focus of the work evolved beyond personal loss to encompass the collective experience of grief throughout the Middle East. While "Al-Atlal" specifically addresses romantic loss, I felt the poem's exploration of what was and what could never be again resonated with the emotions I felt while producing the artwork.
Chair 03
Sayeda Misa Sourour, 2023
Kufiyyeha scarfs
30 x 22 x 20 in.
PC – Zolt Brown-Dunn
CS – Keffiyehs are a prevalent material in the works shown in this exhibition. How do you consider the use of this specific textile?
SMS – Keffiyehs hold a long history within the Arab world. Traditionally worn as headwear by working-class men across the Middle East, they later evolved into a symbol of Palestinian liberation during the 1930s Arab Revolt. In my own work, I incorporate the keffiyeh as a way to express both Arab pride and solidarity.
CS – The “chairs” make up a significant portion of the exhibition that fascinate the viewers by the variety of their forms. What do you think about the variations and echoes between them?
SMS – In my work, I often utilize familiar materials and forms to build narratives. Similarly, the chairs in this exhibition engage in a dialogue with each other, each holding its own presence.
When I sought to create a piece that resonated with my life, the Monobloc chair was a seminal concept. This idea of a core form echoed throughout the other pieces, using various materials. While not all of the “chairs” may be functional, they all retain the essence of a chair and the concept that the act of sitting, staying, and resting, is a form of resistance.
Installation view at Comfort Station, photo courtesy of the artist
CS – Household items seem to be a common theme in your sculptures, where does your interest in them come from?
SMS – My interest in domestic objects stems from a broader fascination with design. Interior design and architecture are strong influences in my work. As my sculptural practice has evolved into more installation-based pieces, I've become increasingly interested in creating spaces themselves. A significant part of my artistic process involves searching for objects and materials that resonate with the story I'm trying to convey, acting as building blocks.
Installation view at Comfort Station, photo courtesy of the artist
CS – Would you mind talking about how your cultural background has inspired your art practice?
SMS – My art practice is heavily influenced by my Islamic upbringing. Growing up, I was primarily exposed to geometric forms, abstract patterns, and decorative designs. This focus on non-representational art naturally carried over into my own work. By abstaining from direct representations, I create abstractions that allow viewers to engage with the narrative on their own terms.
CS – With the unignorable resonance between the show and the Israel-Hamas war and the growing BDS movement in the U.S., would you like to explain the signal you want to convey through your works?
SMS – I’m an Arab American and we are witnessing an on going genocide.
CS – In addition to making sculpture, you’re also a performance artist. Is there a commonality of themes and concerns in how you approach the two forms of working?
SMS – I see performance as a branch of my sculptural practice, communicating narratives with domestic objects. Both forms share a foundation in conceptualism and storytelling. Performance art allows me to explore these themes in a more time-based way while sculptures create dynamic space.
CS – If picking only one piece, which work in the exhibition would you like to highlight to the audience and why?
SMS – Definitely my audio piece, "Sounds Like Home." During my time in Egypt, I began collecting subtle sounds and video recordings, capturing a journey of reconnecting with home. I carefully arranged these sounds, starting from the moment I landed to reaching my family's balcony. I layered the soundscape with “Al-Atlal" by Umm Kulthum to reference Egyptian culture and personal memories. I also chose to record it on a cassette tape as a nod to Egypts cassette culture.
Installation view at Comfort Station, photo courtesy of the artist
CS – What is coming up for you in your practice or what are your plans for after this exhibition?
SMS – Recently my practice is heavily shifting to furniture design. While I will still continue to make sculptural work, I am more interested in object functionality at the moment.
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.