Eyes Should be Washed Series
2023 | Performance | 2nd iteration
Alternative Space, Lubbock, Texas
This performance piece challenges the notion of identity and the weight of the collective gaze. She attaches her long and heavy hair to numerous empty frames, creating an intriguing and enigmatic tableau. The frames, devoid of any portrait, symbolize the absence of a definitive self-representation. By deliberately obscuring her face, the artist, a Muslim woman, denies us a prominent image, offering only her hair as a focal point. In doing so, she confronts the stereotypes and preconceptions often associated with her identity, inviting us to reflect on the power of the gaze and the assumptions it carries. This self-portrait performance is a striking act of defiance, a refusal to conform to expectations, and a powerful commentary on the complexities of self-presentation in a world perpetually defined by the scrutiny of others.