Blue Roots – 2016–2025

A walk-through installation built from screen-printed glassine in layered blues and purples, inspired by a Moroccan Minnesotan woman who cherishes her home traditions and her late mother. The space includes a Madonna and Child painting recalling her mother’s presence, a printed tea table referencing the Moroccan tea ceremony, and a screen-printed prayer rug declaring in her three languages that Earth is her mosque. The installation reflects her deep faith, cultural rootedness, and open, accepting spirit.
Front view of a walk‑through installation with nested blue arches patterned in Islamic geometric designs; translucent panels create a tunnel effect leading to a central painting of two figures in warm yellow and orange tones against a purple background
Blue Roots, front view – 2025 – Screen‑printed glassine – 8 × 12 × 12 ft – Minneapolis Institute of Art.
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Blue Roots, side view – 2025 – Screen‑printed glassine– 8 × 12 × 12 ft – Minneapolis Institute of Art
Close-up view of a richly patterned archway in blue and turquoise with Islamic geometric and floral designs; through the arch, a painting of a seated figure holding a child appears in warm yellow tones against a purple background; nearby are a patterned stool and a prayer rug in matching colors
Blue Roots, close-up view – 2025 – Screen‑printed glassine, printed insulation board, prayer rug – Arab American National Museum.
A seated woman in yellow attire holds a child on her lap; they sit in a blue armchair framed by an arch with a purple background; surrounding walls are patterned in blue and turquoise floral and geometric designs
My Beautiful Mother – 2019 – Painting and screenprinting on canvas – 5 × 8 ft
Prayer rug design with a central archway in blue, pink, and purple patterns; inside the arch, a hanging lamp and vase-like shape appear over a circular motif; surrounding text in English and French reads “My mosque is Earth. La terre est ma mosquée”; Arabic calligraphy runs along the bottom border.
Earth Is My Mosque Prayer Rug – 2018 – Mixed media – Arabic Qur’anic script.
Hexagonal table with six patterned sides featuring arch-shaped motifs and floral and geometric designs in blue, green, purple, and white; the top surface is bordered in textured teal
Tea Table, side view – 2018 – Screen-printed insulation board – Part of Blue Roots.
Visitors explore a walk‑through installation of blue and purple arches patterned with Islamic geometric designs
Blue Roots, installation with visitors – 2025 – Screen‑printed glassine– Minneapolis Institute of Art.
A person stands inside a walk‑through installation of nested blue and purple arches patterned with Islamic geometric designs; the arches form a tunnel leading to a circular artwork on the wall; a small model of the installation sits on a pedestal to the right
Blue Roots, installation with visitor – 2016 – Screen‑printed glassine, printed insulation board, prayer rug – Concordia University Gallery.

Exhibition History

  • 2016 – Blue Roots – Mihrab – Hermitage – Concordia University Gallery, St. Paul, MN
  • 2016 – Blue Roots – Mihrab – Cyrus M. Running Gallery – Concordia College, Moorhead, MN
  • 2018 – Blue Roots – Mihrab: Portraits of Arab American Women – Arab American National Museum, Dearborn, MI​
  • 2019 – Blue Roots – I Contain Multitude, Milwaukee College of Art and Design Gallery
  • 2025 – Blue Roots – Mihrab: Portraits of Arab American Women – Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, MN

Concept and Theme

Blue Roots honors the emotional and spiritual legacy of a Moroccan Minnesotan woman through architectural space, symbolic objects, and layered pattern. The installation evokes her childhood memories of her mother dressed in 1960s Moroccan costume, her love of the tea ceremony, and her belief that faith can be practiced anywhere. The Madonna and Child painting serves as a portrait of maternal reverence, while the prayer rug and tea table anchor the space in ritual and hospitality. This project began in 2016 and developed through interviews and conversations with a Minnesotan woman of Moroccan heritage. These visits—held in homes and coffee shops—allowed for a deeper understanding of her life, values, and memories, culminating in a portrait of her essence and soul through visual form.