A. Growing up, my mom would write on everything in Arabic. She loves the language and grammar and syntax. She would just write on anything like mail, the inside of a book, some random receipt. Writing these poems. I couldn’t read them because my Arabic literacy needs work. She would just have her poems scattered about the house, and every now and then she would recite one and explain it to me.

This residency has been such a gift, because I’m building this confidence in my art. Sometimes it’s still intimidating to sit in the studio because it can feel like you’re only an artist when other people recognize your work. But so much of this residency is about the process. I also feel so humbled because I realized art is much more accessible. It’s wonderful to have the support of a gallery and a community of other artists.

I’m also inspired by Sudanese culture in general. To me, it’s like honey, warm and sustaining.