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Existential Mistake

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Once, we fell from the sky and landed in Babel. 2015 This time last year, I was walking in the old souqs of the heart of Sharjah with no direction or a clue where I am heading. Through my aimless walks and explorations, I fell in love with Sharjah, and left a temporary piece of me, an experience, to share with this wonderful community that I grew to love. Thank you for inspiring me Sharjah! Thank you @sharjahart for the incredible footage. @dancelrubiodr you have captured some great moments. (at Sharjah Art Foundation)

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First group show of the year 🖤 Excited to be showing the newest addition to the series ‘A State of Play’ @hinterlandaustria, titled ‘what you see is what you get.’ ___________________________________________________ ‘NOT WHAT YOU THINK!’ Group Exhibit | 25.01.18 - 24.03.18 Every person should have the exclusive right to dispose of their body as they wish. The body should be an untouchable personal zone. But power structures of a governmental or religious nature as well as certain social notions do restrict this right. In particular, women of the so called Near and Middle East are struggling for this right. However the undifferentiated, fragmentary idea of the subordinated, voiceless woman in the hijab, who has to be freed by external forces - an idea very prominent in the West - represents a false role as well.-_______________________________________________________—Photocredit: Jakob Winkler (at HINTERLAND)

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Issue 4 of Jahanamiya explores the concept of movement – a particularly salient topic at present – through the insight of Saudi women. The writing in the issue touches upon a diverse array of topics: from cross cultural experiences and emotional evolutions to identity formation and physical movement. Some pieces explore questions of the body and its true ownership. Others touch upon issues of driving and transportation. Jahanamiya is excited to be releasing this issue at such a significant moment in Saudi Arabia’s history – a movement that represents noteworthy movement in our society as a whole. More than this though, Jahanamiya is proud to continue elevating the voices of individual Saudi women, propelling ourselves, our daughters, and our sons forward with each story we share.

في عددها الرابع، جهنمية في صدد تناول موضوع الساعة: التحرك. تفاوتت الموضوعات التي كتبت في هذا العدد باختلاف تجارب النساء السعوديات. فمنهم من قصّت عن التنقل بين بلاد ومجتمعات مختلفة، ومن حكت عن تحّرك داخلي يخص التنقل بين الحالات النفسية المختلفة عند مواجهة صعوبات الحياة، ومن روت عن الحركة البدنية وملكية جسدها، وبعض الكتابات تعرضت لمسألة قيادة المرأة والتنقل في السعودية.

جهنمية في أوج سعادتها لإطلاق هذا العدد تزامناً مع حدث تاريخي للمرأة السعودية وهو السماح لها بإستخراج رخصة قيادة أسوة بالرجل وهذا القرار يمثل نقلة نوعية في المجتمع السعودي. جهنمية تفتخر بدورها الإيجابي في إيجاد منبر لأصوات النساء السعوديات، بحيث كل قصة تروى وكل عمل أدبي ينشر يدفعنا، ويدفع بناتنا و أبناءنا إلى الامام.

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27 September at 09:48

I barely slept last night. I was overwhelmed with emotions and thoughts. I was excited and worried at once. Change and transformation usually brings forth these emotions. I opened my eyes from sleep unsure if the dream has really become a reality. I checked my phone immediately to pinch myself: this was no longer just a dream.

Then I sobbed. I cried out and released all the frustrations and anger I accumulated over the years. It wasn't about our right to drive, because this cause only represents the inequality and injustice that most saudi women had to experience.

Growing up as a saudi woman, I suffered from many injustices, some may seem trivial, and others more traumatic, but they all shaped my path, whether I like it or not. There are certain conditions that anger me, injustice being one of them. I become so sad and angry when I witness or experience injustice. I never understood why it occurs, and why has it become a normalized common practice. It's one of the most devastating feelings I could personally experience, because I feel it so deeply. It makes me feel helpless, powerless, and so confused. So this morning, I gave myself time and permission and allowed my soul to release these emotions. It makes me so sad to know that any human is suffering from any type of injustice, because I truly believe that every human in this world deserves to live with honor, dignity, and respect simply because they deserve it. That we all have a birthright to practice our freedom, fully, with no excuses.

I often ask myself: "why did I choose my family? Why did I choose my country? Why did I choose my gender? Why did I choose to experience this perspective?" The answers are various, but the one that resonates with me the most is that, as a soul, I wanted to understand the meaning of freedom.

It wasn't an easy life to choose, but moments like these make it worth it. I would have never understood the significance of this historic moment if I didn't make these choices as a soul. I'm overwhelmed with emotions, I am releasing what I was holding within. I more than ever believe that miracles can happen, change is inevitable, and liberty can be achieved. I am grateful I survived to witness this.

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Harper’s Bazaar Arabia & Nike collaboration Featuring Lana El Sahely, Yasmin Baker, Karen Mattar, and Balqis AlRashed.  Check out full article and video HERE

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Regression

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#AstateOFplay (at Sharjah Art Foundation)

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Hula-Hooping in a Niqab: @balqis_alrashed’s Twirling Art

#MyStory is a series that spotlights inspiring women in the Instagram community. Join the conversation by sharing your own story. To see more of Balqis’ art and hula-hooping performances, follow @balqis_alrashed on Instagram.

“#MyStory is about play. Being free and experimental and seeing the world with a fresh perspective.” —Balqis AlRashed (@balqis_alrashed), a visual artist and graphic designer from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

“I was attempting to get out of my comfort zone. Hula-hoop class sounded like a good idea, something I would never do willingly. But I’ve been hooping ever since. You have to be in the moment when you’re in the hoop or it will not stick to your waist. It seems like it’s a plastic circle that won’t have any power to transform you physically and mentally and energetically, but it changed the way I talked to myself. I started encouraging myself to learn and play versus me being perfect and better than anyone in the room. That’s what I love about the hoop. Once I’m in there, I feel like I enter a space where there’s no judgment, no resistance to anything or anyone or any thought.

When I created the niqab hoop series, I was inspired to combine the practice of play and the physical constraint of the veil. It’s shocking but enchanting. I feel like I’m always boldly walking on eggshells.”

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More of Khaleejesque feature. Bloom Issue.

Standing. As Within So Without. 2015

Pretending to spray paint. Closed for Prayer. 2014

Satellite Hooping.

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Digital Poster : Pleasures of the damned

كل شيء احبه، عيب، او مضر، او ممنوع، او غالي، او مستحيل

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Article: Walls of the GCC by Rana Jarbou

“I am a Saudi citizen free and independent”. In female voice in Riyadh, Granada district, by Balqis al Rashed. Women’s visibility on Saudi Arabia’s street walls has been emerging in the past few years. These expressions are isolated and scattered, and are often very quickly crossed over or whitewashed. 

Full article in link below: https://www.mashallahnews.com/walls-of-the-gcc/

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Production of "Once we fell from the sky and landed in Babel" . 2015

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معلقات

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Arab News feature.

Dalal catching my interview in Arab News. 

Link to Article: http://www.arabnews.com/node/1006426/art-culture

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Khaleejesque feature. Bloom Issue.