Tell me about your sacrifice paintings from 2008.
This was the first body of work I made on linen. I remember coming across an image of a lamb being flayed and really responding to that violent act of removing the skin. The specifics of that ritual (Eid al-Adha) were somewhat irrelevant. I wanted to concentrate on the aggressive act of removing a body part, what that meant and what that could yield. The skin, the body, and the flesh have always claimed my attention. The fact that this was a lamb obviously connects to western conceptions of “purity” and “innocence”—at the time I wanted to debunk that.
Those were my conscious thoughts on the works, but I think my personal life always sneaks in, and looking back now, I think I needed to undergo a renewal or a rebirth.
Collective Cut
Oil on linen, 2008, 68″ x 42″
Carrying on Shoulder
Oil on linen, 2008, diptych 68″ x 60″
Flaying the Lamb
Oil on linen, 2008, 68” x 42”
Flayed Lamb
Oil on linen, 2008, 68” x 42″
Head on Plate
Oil on linen, 2008, 68” x 42”
Disguiseed Marionettes
Oil on linen, 2009, 76” x 42”