Home: A Series
Home is a series that explores the condition of nostalgia in the context of living in the UAE for the past 18 years. My urge to explore nostalgia was a bit sentimental—I’ve always been a nostalgic person. I would usually long for experiences I have never had. At the age of 16, I started thinking about nostalgia, identity, and longing in detail. A lot of my work is influenced by the culture around me, and being in Abu Dhabi for so long has influenced my work. Understanding the culture made it a lot easier for me to display what I felt into canvas.
I made some beautiful pieces, but I couldn’t hit the nail on the head on what I wanted to convey. I started reading about nostalgia, and I set out to visit places of importance to me in Abu Dhabi. I wanted to go back to the building I grew up in before I moved to Bani Yas and see the kids in my old neighborhood. I was just like them once; walking down the street to the Baqala (grocery store) to get some ice cream, because summer was way too hot for us. However, very soon, I realized that I didn’t need to talk about a specific place. Just like nostalgia, my work wasn’t about a specific place, it was about time. Home II was more of what it felt like back then, and the colors brought out the emotions I felt at that time.
Home II demonstrates an old Emirati woman who is looking down, showing she is downhearted. The way her hand is clutched on her chest indicates emotional pain. The term in the background of the picture, (البُعد بُعد القلوب مب بُعد الدروب), translates to "Distance is in the heart, not the location". I wanted to portray her sadness. ◆
Home II by Leila Marie (@nyyytt).
Leila Marie is a Sudanese Artist and Graphic Designer/ Art Consultant living in Abu Dhabi. Contact Leila Marie through: leilammariee@gmail.com