Book Description

Sama Alshaibi: Sand Rushes In , the first book by this rising artist, presents work from Silsila , a video and photographic installation that premiered at the 2013 Venice Biennale, as well as other series. Alshaibis lyrical multimedia work explores the landscape of conflict: the ongo - ing competition for land, resources, and power in the Middle East, and the internal battle for control between fear and fearlessness. Additional material, selected from the artists series Negatives Capable Hands, Collapse, and Thowra, is presented in the context of Silsila , meaning chain or link in Arabic. The artist uses the desert, borders, and the body as over - arching symbols of the geopolitical and environmental issues and histories, linking the Arab- speaking world. Alshaibi operates between the United States, western Asia, and North Africa. Much of her work is inspired by and shot onsite in distinct natural landscapes, from the Western Sahara of North Africa to the eastern Arabian Desert on the edges of Iraqhighlighting the jarring contrast between desert and fertile oasis. Alshaibi is often a protagonist in the work, taking on the guise of distinct yet interrelated characters. Edited by Isabella Ellaheh Hughes, a writer and curator based in Abu Dhabi and Honolulu, this book includes an interview between Hughes and Alshaibi, a foreword by Salwa Mikdadi, and an essay by Alfredo Cramerotti.