Between the Lines (I love you), 2025

Serpentine blown glass (Red) on clear transparent glass
Glass, 110 x 82 cm

The site-specific work created for Venice draws inspiration from the artist’s project Between the Lines. In this work, the artist explores a metaphor in Arab heritage that encourages perceiving the hidden nuances that hide “between the lines” of written texts or spoken discourse. In particular, the subtle shades that favor allusion rather than lucid expression.

The works take the form of ancient Arabic letters that begin with the opening statement Bism-allah “In the name of God, Allah” and concludes with the phrase “Peace be Upon You.” This linguistic structure follows in the familiar tradition of Arabic love letters and widely circulated poetry, such as the writings of Antar and Abla, the poems of Qais Majnun and Layla, and Jamil and Buthaina. Through the familiarity of the linguistic structure, the artist brings us closer to the poetic histories of Arab tradition.

In between these phrases, one of the most compelling forms of the contemporary work sits, extended in red Murano glass. Here, the word “I love you” extends, filling the volume of space and in so doing, filling us with the poetic sentiment of a poetic love letter. The formally simple extension is not explicitly told but emerges through the viewer’s engagement, perceived in the spaces between the lines.