Created for my ancient Egyptian art history course in which I studied ‘qasr,’ terracotta pots, native plants, and their healing properties. Mixing paint with molding paste, I molded the pot and stems of the anemones (poppies) and lotus’, native plants of Egypt.

While Ancient Egyptians associated anemone’s with death and illness, in the present day, choosing to paint anemones is a symbol of the ongoing resistance against the Israeli occupation and genocide of the Palestinian people since the first Nakba in 1948. The red anemone is considered the national flower of Palestine and was plucked and displayed in homes to remind Palestinians of their ongoing collective struggle as they welcomed guests to their home.

The anemone was believed to have healing properties, but if prepared improperly was poisonous when ingested.

The color palette is inspired by Ancient Egyptian foods (loquats, olives, and eggplant), tablets, and storytelling paintings on clay vessels