Am I the Baboon?

Am I The Baboon? Is a collaborative project, developed in close dialogue with my friend Saif. Through drawing, writing and image making, the work shares an ongoing exchange shaped by interpretation and imagination. Rooted in lived experiences, it explores themes of belonging and nostalgia, considering how both shape feelings towards identity. Saif’s history of movement informs the work, and imagery is reimagined through our exchange. The work navigates between experience and interpretation, a shared process rather than a fixed narrative. Through this ongoing conversation, the work uncovers complex feelings tied to belonging within systems that render it uncertain, reflecting the feelings behind imposed identity and internalised perception. The ‘baboon’ acts as a metaphor for otherness, shaped by experiences of displacement and the uncertainty of belonging.”