Sea of Tears

Mashael Al Saie’s Sea of Tears (2023) is a multimedia installation that investigates the folklore of Ain Adhari, a desolate natural spring in Bahrain. The myth of the maiden of Adhari recalls the plight of a young woman who is menacingly approached by a strange man in a palm tree grove. She consequently wails in fear until her tears alchemize into an eternal spring.

Through the lenses of mythology, eco-feminism and oral histories, Sea of Tears reimagines the metaphysical transformation of Ain Adhari from the young woman’s physical body into a body of water. The installation is a three-part narrative composed of sculptural glass tears, video and audio.