Fresh meat, 2024

“There is a well-known Somali saying I grew up hearing: “Jidh dumar wa hilib bisil,” meaning “a woman’s body is like fresh meat.” This phrase was often spoken as a warning, suggesting that when I ventured out, I was akin to fresh meat among predators. In darker moments, it served as the final justification for harm inflicted on women—implying that the fault lay with her. How could she have been alone when the harm occurred? What was she doing there? Didn’t she know she was fresh meat, walking unguarded? This saying reflects the deep-seated victim-blaming embedded in cultural narratives that hold women accountable for harm done to them based on their gender, beauty or social standing.”

Straight Path, 2024

Somaliland’s history is a tapestry woven with threads of colonial disruption and post-war reconstruction. British rule reinforced and intensified existing patriarchal structures by embedding stricter gender norms and excluding women from political and economic spheres. As Somaliland emerged from colonialism into the chaos of civil conflict, the imposition of Sharia law sought to unify a fractured society. This shift further entrenched conservative values and the confluence of colonial legacies, wartime upheaval, and religious codification sculpted Somaliland into a society where the hopes and participation of women is largely ignored.

Hagool, 2024

The hangool, a traditional tool of Somali nomads, is used both as a walking staff and to protect livestock from predators. However, its historical uses extend beyond these practical functions—it was once a means of controlling women within the household. Though such practices have faded in contemporary times, their echoes persist. The form of the woman in this painting is drawn from the silhouette of the camel, a prized animal in Somali culture, central to life and tradition, symbolized by the custom of offering a hundred camels as dowry. The parallels between women and camels, from a Somali perspective, are striking—both are seen as valuable, yet subject to control. Here, the hangool becomes a metaphor for the enduring force of patriarchy, under which women remain constrained. The honor tied to marriage, shaped by male perspectives, continues to be accepted, often unquestioned, reflecting the complex layers of societal influence still at play.