Us احنا

Lens Based Sculptures, 2024

This work is an act of mourning, reflecting both personal and collective loss —particularly the loss of cultural identity. After visiting my family in Dengzhou 邓州, Henan 河南 in 2023 and 2024, I was overwhelmed by a deep sorrow. I no longer know who we are as Hui 回族. Growing up, my Hui identity was never explained to me. I was unaware of our histories, traditions and spiritual practices. We never celebrated Eid or Ramadan. The fading of our cultural and spiritual practices, exacerbated by rising nationalist sentiments is not the only trouble facing our people. There is also the trauma of poverty. Many of my elderly family members are uneducated workers and farmers, their livelihood are depended on agriculture and land. A lack of rain spells disaster—people starve. My grandfather had to flee from Zhenping 镇平 to Dengzhou 邓州 due to famine, a stark reminder of how intertwined survival and the land are.

In my work, photos of my mother, grandfather and Islamic presence in the streets of Dengzhou are submerged in water. Water is often seen as harmless and nurturing, essential for life. But it also has the capacity to conceal and destroy. Our story is flooded, sealed inside a tank, removed from the flowing river of our culture and faith. I fear that we may never have a future in this land we call home.

Us - 1
Rug, Fish Tank, Prints
Thank you my mother, the kindest, the most loving person I know in this world. Thank you for being by my side, and be a part of this work unknowingly. I’m sorry I never told you what this artwork is about, I don’t want to make you sad. everything our family has been through is hard enough for you, I wish you to be at ease and peace.

Us - 2
40cm x 40 cm

Us - 2
Details