The Invisible Guests

The Invisible Guests is an installation that reimagines the Arabic majlis as a space for collective remembrance, where absence becomes visible. The cushions feature the embroidered names of community members who shaped the artist’s life, but who are now absent as a result of migration or death. Originally handwritten by the artist in the Naskh style of Arabic calligraphy, each name and accompanying description is a tribute that turns her personal memories into a shared reflection. The work invites guests to reflect on the weight of loss, the endurance of connection, and the ways in which those who are no longer with us continue to inhabit the spaces we gather in.