The work within the ‘Scenes of Concealment’ series originated from reminiscing on my childhood as a Syrian, Muslim kid living in the homogenous Midwest. A place that didn’t reflect me or hold me safely and as a result I turned towards nature to find comfort within. 

The color green is important within this series because it is uncommon in anything made by humans. Within Oakland, we yearn for the green and life brought on by rain and we are stripped of it with natural spaces and homes being bulldozed and emptied by constant development. 

Within this series and in Forest Home I combine the color green and the shared Mediterranean plant life and architecture of Syria and Oakland to make homes and places of comfort everywhere.