Sumud

Sumud is a collection of drawings inspired by my recent journey through Israel and Palestine. The Arabic word sumud is commonly translated as “steadfastness” or “resilience,” but it describes something deeper: the determination to remain rooted in a place, a community, a faith, and a history despite uncertainty and hardship.

During my travels, I encountered people whose lives embodied this spirit of steadfastness, as well as landscapes and places marked by generations of memory. Ancient olive trees, weathered stone, fields, churches, and the ordinary objects and details of daily life became subjects through which I began to consider the meaning of belonging and endurance.

The works draw from the traditions of portraiture, landscape, and still life. I approach people and places as subjects with their own histories and biographies, while objects and natural forms become quiet witnesses to the lives surrounding them. Through careful observation and the slow process of drawing, I explore the relationship between land and memory, faith and belonging, displacement and rootedness.

At their heart, these works are an attempt to bear witness—to the people I encountered, the places they call home, and the quiet strength of those who remain.