DUBAI: The Emirati designer discusses her large-scale installation from the ‘Forever Is Now’ exhibition, which runs until Nov. 18 at the pyramids of Giza. 

My journey started 20 years back, when I graduated with a degree in jewelry and silversmithing. I enjoy jumping from one material to another and working on different scales. A lot of my work is about how humans engage with a space and what they can get out of it as an experience for them.  

When I was shortlisted for “Forever Is Now,” we started the journey of developing the artwork and adjusting it to fit the space near the pyramids. It was overwhelming; the minute you are in such a historical site with that backdrop and seeing the sun move from one side to the other, it’s a dream experience for any artist, regardless of their background. It’s like you’re in another matrix.  

I enjoyed every single bit of it. I had such a wonderful team that helped install my work. We created it in a way that looked like IKEA furniture: It’s pre-packed, then you open it and install it with nuts and bolts. We had to make it as simple as possible. If that wasn’t the case, it would have taken three or four days to install. I think I was one of the fastest on site, installing my work in one day, so I enjoyed the rest of my days in Egypt.  

I’ve worked with many different shapes, but the pyramid form, to me, has a strength. In this artwork, I wanted to create a pyramid — made of mild steel — but in a size and form that gives an experience, mainly revolving around feeling secure in a safe space.  

At the same time, the ‘treasure’ that I wanted people to reflect on is not the golden part on top of the piece, but the gold within them. So, we are the true treasures of the experience, walking through, sitting, and meditating in the artwork.  

Surrounding the pyramid is a representation of sand dunes. I’m inspired by the desert. People perceive the desert as a dead space, but I perceive it as a living space where there are farms, trees, and other living things. That is very important to our society in the region.