nazar

A common motif in my work is the evil eye, or nazar. Belief in nazar, essentially that we can be harmed or cursed by the gaze of others, is common amongst South Asians and Muslims. There are many practices and symbols of evil eye protection that vary by region, religion, and lineage. The evil eye symbol, a blue eye created from four concentric circles, originated in Greece and is most commonly seen in Turkey. This symbol is often incorporated into protective amulets against the harmful impacts of the gaze, and in recent years, has gained popularity in US fashion. This symbol and concept is applied throughout my work in a multitude of ways, connecting evil eye mythology to the gaze of power: the male gaze, the Orientalist gaze, etc. Evil eyes cohere into landscape, into pores, into bodies, into virus, into markers of awareness.