Beach, 2013
Concrete, steel, rusting agent, sand, audio & speakers 
Installation, 10' x 8' x 8'

Beach was an installation based on memories of the beach from the artist's teenage years in Dubai in the mid 2000s. The concrete blocks with embedded metal mimic construction debris from the man-made islands, one of several development projects that took place in the United Arab Emirates during the 20 years the artist's family lived there.  Hidden speakers produce the sound of the ocean overlaid with the Azaan, or Muslim call to prayer.  Like the sound of the waves crashing against the shore, the prayer is meant to invoke a sense of calm. Although this installation carried undertones of loss (the loss of the natural environment as well as the loss of a childhood home), it was also designed to to be a peaceful, meditative space.

A classmate relaxes in the installation space in the Parsons Fine Arts building on E 13th St