and we have a land
My childhood was spent surrounded by California poppies and days spent flying kites along the beach. This experience, even though I did not realize it at the time, was a way to connect my current home to the one that existed in my memories. The poppy flower in the Levant represents the colors of the flags and the sacrifice of the martyrs, while the poppy in California is the state flower. The winds from the Pacific Ocean created ideal kite flying conditions, and kids in Palestine make kites from sticks and paper bags to fly along their own coastline. My parents had moved halfway across the world to end up in a state that closely mirrored where they had come from.
And We Have A Land is about reimagining what “home” looks like. In this space, I have created a living room with framed family photos, kites featuring traditional tatreez patterns, patches of poppies, and a custom-made deck of cards. The poppies are delicately crafted by hand using wire and tissue paper and then placed on the floor and covered with dirt; having something grow out of a seemingly inhospitable environment serves as a testament to the perseverance and resilience I have seen from my people. The kites on the wall have a net and disc tatreez pattern, a form of Palestinian embroidery that’s an integral part of the culture.
Even though I haven’t gone back to the Levant since I was five years old, my house in California became a little slice of that version of home. The dates and palm trees, along with the mountains bordering the deserts, were all reminders that no matter how far away we were, “home” was just where my family was. This piece allows me to bridge that 7,567-mile gap between my two homes and finally create a middle ground between where I’m from and where I am now.