Ali Ibrahim

I Was Here

Oil painting on wood panels

““I Was Here” is my visual interpretation of depression, trauma, and neglect inflicted on my personal space represented by a series of three 36”x48” oil paintings on wood panels. In classical paintings, still life of food, personal objects and interiors are painted to exhibit the economic and social wealth of a person, or the lack of it. In my work, I am eager to explore how the state of one’s personal space (kitchen, bedrooms, living rooms etc.) mirrors their mental health. Furthermore, in Islam, a mosque (especially Makkah) is called house of Allah. Being the incarnation image of God, mosques are to be kept pristine. While being inside a mosque one must always treat the property as if they are treating God himself with respect and care. In my work, I challenge that notion in my paintings where I denote that I lost interest in the way my house represents me when I lost pieces of myself to during my depression period. The series title emphasizes on the meditative nature of the work as an acknowledgment of the harsh reality of living within the cycle of abuse and depression. In addition, the title works as a tool to communicate the fact that I am in a mental space where I have the agency to say I was here. ”