I was born in Algeria to parents of Pakistani heritage whose ancestry is from Lucknow, India and I moved to Canada at the age of 6. Due to my complex history of migration and socialization I create constructed spaces that raise the questions; to what culture and where does this space belong and who is the person that created this space?

I build large mixed media installations through which I define the complexity of my migratory history. Through the fragments of my identity I piece together my culture and place of belonging. Many times within these spaces it appears as if there is a lack of cultural understanding as many cultures are colliding into one piece. Through my installations I am literally trying to find my own place within my current locale while taking into consideration my family’s history. I create spaces that hone in on my Indian ancestry, North African birth and Canadian socialization.

I create unstable narratives through utilizing architectural building materials such as concrete, bricks, plaster and wood. The spaces I create are fragments of homes as I am piecing together the bits of my cultural history that I know about. This is communicated through incorporating objects that have been found in the natural environment such as grasses from Northern Ontario, my own personal items such as traditionally made textiles from India. I also use old family photographs within my installations. These photographs are from my childhood in Canada as well as family in India and Pakistan from before I was born. .

My installations not only question my identity but the viewer is also able to create a narrative of their own identity as we all have complex narratives of identity.