21,39 Amakin

“I searched for my place, somewhere that makes me feel contained. I wanted to remove the concepts, obstacles and thoughts that prevent me from reaching it, making space for something new.”

For Bashaer Hawsawi, childhood memories lead her back to Makkah, where she finds her makan — her sense of place and belonging. For Amakin, she presents an installation of textiles that explores the relationship between her familiar home in Jeddah and the outside world.

Her interest in textiles is deeply personal. Members of her family are Mutawifin, caring for pilgrims coming to Makkah, and textiles have long been part of the city’s cultural and commercial life during Hajj. For Hawsawi, they carry both a sense of familiarity and a spiritual connection to the holy city.

While researching the work, she returned to the fabric shops of Al-Balad in Jeddah, where textiles from India, Africa, China and elsewhere come together. She was particularly drawn to vibrant wax-printed cottons, whose colours and patterns evoke both movement and a sense of home.

The installation combines precious textiles belonging to her family with fabrics sourced from Al-Balad. Red brooms are placed over the textiles, referencing her ongoing concept of cleansing — the act of removing what is unwanted and creating space for renewal. “The union of the cloth and brooms is one that I created as a means of discourse.”

Inspired by Gaston Bachelard’s writings on the emotional relationship between people and places, Hawsawi approaches makan as more than a physical location. It becomes a space held within memory: a place where childhood, family, ritual, spirituality and belonging meet.