Layan Wadi

علَى هَذِهِ الأَرْض - On This Land: Wall instillation

The central visual of the project is the silhouette of the overlapping olive branches that makes up the entirety of the wall piece and is laced throughout the publication. Serving as a symbol of the simplicity, beauty, and multidimensionality of Palestinian culture, it also serves as a nod to agricultural practices, food and hospitality, extensive history, and natural biodiversity of the land. Here, simplicity is not being used in the context of scarcity. Instead, it serves as a reference to accessibility and understanding. It also works to challenge the perception that Palestinian existence is synonymous with chaos. The wall piece centers around a play on shadow and light, with ones experience of the piece varying based on the light environment they are in, as well as their physical position and proximity to it. As they move around the work, or as the light environment changes, the perception and experience of the piece also changes. This promotes a sense of intimacy and personalisation, playing on the concept of humanisation, while also subtly commenting on the fragility and subjectivity of personal perception. The play on light and shadow also serves to bring the project to life, which is further amplified by the use of scale and dynamic curves and folds.

“علَى هَذِهِ الأَرْض مَا يَسْتَحِقُّ الحَياةْ - محمود درويش On this land is that which makes life worth living - Mahmoud Darwish”