Faculty of Art

Drawing and Painting

Dalia El Toark

Who? Where? Why? I

Still Image of Animated Gif

“This piece depicts a painting animated with embroidery that reflects my sense of diasporic belonging, through digitally combining Palestinian tatreez, and personal images. Transnational experiences that depict the loss and celebration of my heritage are addressed, while the colonial practice of embroidery also questions women's prescribed roles. I disseminated these criticalities through embroidered Arabic text that acts as the surface for these narratives.I digitally collage self-portraits combined with Palestinian tatreez that narrate the experiences of living in diaspora. Additionally, I mirror the portraits in order to express the two-sided desire to belong in a place of unbelonging.Digital collages are used to create black and white image transfers applied onto the canvas.Using Acrylic paint, I layer thin coats of colours that build up to appear vibrant, covering the image transfers and creating outlines using water pastels and India ink. I further expand the process of adding and erasing by incorporating cropped images of the digital collages. This aspect brings forth the image transfers that became buried underneath the layers of paint.Through embroidery, I emphasize the colonial acts of erasure by the use of black yarn, covering portions of the paintings. In Arabic, I repeatedly embroider the words “Alef” ( ألف), the first letter of the alphabet, making it illegible. This demonstrates theerasure of language, and cultural traditions, while the Arabic text and Palestinian tatreez disseminate the presence of my heritage, echoing my identity.The animated Gifs bring the pieces to life, by documenting the process of embroidery, combining the digital and the tactile, it allows my work to exist in both spaces.”