Sawsan Al Bahar’s work explores the emotional and psychological layers of memory, femininity, and human experience through richly textured compositions that merge figuration with abstraction. Her practice is deeply rooted in storytelling, often drawing from personal reflection, symbolism, and cultural references to construct intimate visual narratives that move between vulnerability and strength.
Through layered surfaces, gestural mark-making, embroidery, and mixed media processes, Al Bahar creates works that evoke fragmented memories and emotional states rather than direct representation. Her figures frequently appear suspended between presence and disappearance, embodying themes of longing, resilience, displacement, and inner transformation.
The presentation of her work at Firetti Contemporary highlighted her ability to merge traditional sensibilities with contemporary experimentation, creating poetic and psychologically charged compositions that reflect on identity, womanhood, and the complexities of lived experience across time and place.
