Dreams & Prayer

Dreams and Prayer was created in 2020 during the height of COVID-19 when most of the world was confined to their homes. It took over a month to sew together the prayer rugs and install them for the shoot. 

The staged portraits in this work are a somewhat surreal glimpse of socio-religious thought and identity, becoming another chapter of my visual diary.

The series explores the relationship between our dreams and the process of Prayer. When we build our world around Prayer, is it because of our material desires of the Dunya (world), the need for better health, perhaps prosperity, the healing from pain, or just the sincere request for guidance from a higher being? 

What are dreams for except a moment where the spirit can refuel for the next day's challenges? Our prayers become the connection to our dreams and life goals. For some, dreams may seem surreal, while for others, they symbolize what's to come and are layered with complexities that hold profound meaning for close-connected souls. There is beauty and power in the variations of Prayer observed. 

The construction of prayer rugs and imagery depicts the beauty of my dreams and Prayer. In Islam, it is said that Prayer is Noor (light). The play on symbolism and references are from the Islamic religion and African culture and may have greater global meaning. For example, Weurseuk (Luck) explores the belief that water is a sign of abundance, luck, and wealth. I choose to use children as a manifestation of luck and happiness or vice versa. The choice of white is recurring in my work and connects to ideas of purity. The Wolof language references the influence of my life experiences relating to the series.