I have always found the van to be a visually captivating space, but as I began sketching them in search of answers, my focus narrowed. I moved away from the vehicle as a whole and found myself fixated on the rearview mirror. Hanging there, I saw a physical manifestation of a life decorative ornaments and charms that served as a portrait of the driver’s character.
Lacking a father figure in my life, I realized I was searching those reflections for the person I was meant to be, trying to piece together an identity I was never given. I eventually understood that this interest was a bridge to a forgotten landscape: the memories of riding in my father’s van, watching him through the frame of that same mirror.
What began as an observation of urban transit transformed into an act of soul-searching. It makes me wonder about the invisible maps others carry within them. So, tell me Lawen wasel?
“Lawen wasel?” was initially planned for exhibition in 2020 at Galerie Rmeil 392 in Beirut, but the opening was disrupted few weeks before due to the Beirut port explosion. The project was later showcased at ArtLab Beirut, with the support of the British Council Lebanon.