Fellows' Reflections: Asha Athman

After arriving in Jordan at the end of July, I didn’t anticipate getting into the groove of life in Amman so quickly. I was fortunate to have strong support at Collateral Repair Project when I arrived and this smooth transition enabled me to enjoy working on personal projects outside of work. I am passionate about art and soon after arriving in Amman began preparing to participate in a month-long art residency at Darat al Funun, a dynamic art foundation in Jordan.

Darat al Funun is a well-known art institution in Amman that features modern art and cultural exhibitions mainly produced by artists from Jordan and the Arab world year-round. The Lab of Darat al Funun was started by the foundation to support the work of emerging artists. In 2019, the Lab is undergoing several residency and exhibition programs distributed into “Phases.” The residency I participated in was part of Phase II, which focused on diaspora narratives, raw materials, and conceptions of home.

During September, I worked by day and produced art by night on a busy, but rewarding schedule. The residency included communal cooking nights, movie screenings, reading circles, and excursions in Amman that related to its central themes and the projects of its participants. The program allowed me to become closer friends with many young artists in and outside Amman.

I was able to complete a collage project I began working on in the United States during this program. The project was an initiative to explore my Somali heritage in a creative way. I digitally brought together pictures, old documents, music, and videos that reflect Somali history and culture in the 20th and 21st centuries. I grew up in the Somali American diaspora and this project brought me closer to home in a number of senses while I was adjusting to life in Jordan.

The final exhibition for the projects produced in the Lab Phase II Residency program was held at the beginning of October. It was incredible to show my work alongside other participants in the Residency and share this experience with my friends and coworkers in Amman. The start of my fellowship in Jordan was a whirlwind, but after the exhibition I had the opportunity to reflect on all I had accomplished in and outside of work during these two first months.

I look forward to continuing working on this project and am currently working on a digital and print publication that matches the style and content of the pieces produced for the Darat residency.