Morning of Damascus – 2016–2025

This installation traces the lived story of a Syrian Minnesotan woman, translating her memories, losses, and sources of strength into an environment shaped by the architectural language of the Umayyad era
Entrance view of a textile installation with domed roof and arched facade; purple, yellow, and lavender screen‑printed patterns frame the doorway, revealing a richly ornamented interior
Morning of Damascus, gallery view – 2025 – installation, 8 × 10 × 10 ft – Minneapolis Institute of Art.
Side view of a paper‑based installation with a domed roof, arched entrance, and patterned columns; purple and gold screen‑printed designs evoke Islamic architectural motifs and floral ornamentation
Morning of Damascus, side view – 2025 – installation – Minneapolis Institute of Art.
The overarching structure recalls the Islamic Umayyad architecture developed in Syria during the 7th and 8th centuries, merging the spatial language of Arabian tents with mosque arches and ornamentation.
Interior view of a paper‑based installation showing dome and walls made of screen‑printed glassine; cut‑out painted foliage cascades from the wall; a prayer rug lies beside a table holding a paper‑mâché coffee set
Morning of Damascus, interior view – installation – screen‑printed glassine, cut‑paper foliage – 2025 – MIA
Detail of screen‑printed glassine paper featuring floral and geometric patterns in purple, yellow, and blue
Morning of Damascus, details – screen‑printed glassine – 2025 – MIA.
Motifs of sisterhood and feminine power recur throughout: the Arabic word bint(‘girl’) appears within clusters of narcissus flowers once sold on the streets of Damascus, honoring her identity as one of seven sisters and the pride her parents carried for them. A screen‑printed prayer rug anchors the space, its central tree symbolizing the older woman who guided her through displacement and spiritual renewal. Foliage across the walls evokes the community of young women she taught in Damascus, whose solidarity nourished her sense of purpose.
Purple prayer rug with stylized tree and arch motifs; printed text reads, “My relationship with God was a mess. This woman is the one who helped me put my life together
Prayer for Healing, Morning of Damascus –screen‑printed hand-dyed canvas – 26 x 40 in.

​The paper‑mâché coffee set becomes a fragile monument to late‑morning rituals in her Damascus apartment—moments of warmth and belonging now held only in memory
Close‑up of golden paper‑mâché tray with cup and pitcher; handwritten text covers the screen‑printed wooden table
Morning of Damascus, coffee set details – paper‑mâché and screen printed wood.
Top view of a golden paper‑mâché tray with cup and pitcher; handwritten text in Arabic and English expresses longing for home and the experience of displacement
Morning of Damascus, close- up to coffee set – transfer of handwritten text.
Upward view of the aluminum‑framed dome made of screen‑printed glassine paper; cut‑paper vines drape across the arch below
Morning of Damascus, interior dome view – aluminum frame with screen‑printed glassine panels and cut‑paper vines.
Visitors in a gallery space with a domed, patterned installation in the background; some wear headphones or hold sketchpads, suggesting an educational or interactive experience
Visitors at the Mihrab exhibition, Minneapolis Institute of Art, 2025. Morning of Damascus installation visible in the background.
Installation interior with patterned archway and dome; artist seated beside a stylized tree beside a purple rug
God at Midday, first iteration of the installation, 2016. Concordia University Gallery, St. Paul. Artist seated inside the work.
Close‑up of cut‑paper vine foliage in layere pattern of green, yellow, and gold shades
Cut‑paper vine foliage detail – painted paper in layered pattern.
Cylindrical column wrapped in purple canvas with geometric and floral motifs in purple, gold, and pink
Front column detail – screen‑printed hand‑dyed canvas.
Fabric‑covered column with swirling floral patterns in pink, gold, and fuchsia on a purple base
Second front column detail from Morning of Damascus.

Exhibiiton History

  • 2016 – God At Mid-day – Mihrab – Hermitage – Concordia University Gallery, St. Paul, MN
  • 2016 – God At Mid-day – Mihrab – Cyrus M. Running Gallery – Concordia College, Moorhead, MN
  • 2018 – God At Mid-day – Mihrab: Portraits of Arab American Women – Arab American National Museum, Dearborn, MI
  • 2019 – God At Mid-day – Group Show – Minneapolis College of Art And Design, Minneapolis, MN 
  • 2025 – Morning of Damascus – Mihrab: Portraits of Arab American Women – Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, MN