Through the prism of a practice grounded in collective reflection, Latifa AlBokhari considers the ritualistic and emotional transitions that shape Khaleeji womanhood. Sirti Mara (You’re a Woman Now) (2026) reveals how acts of social intimacy and care, such as the oiling of hair, henna gatherings, visits to the souq and preparations for weddings and Eid, become intertwined with intergenerational memory and cultural belonging.

Photographic works, and textile interventions create a layered environment, evoking the sensory and emotional textures of lived experiences. Al Bokhari’s soft, contemplative lens channels her own evolving relationship to femininity as well as her growing appreciation for the many forms of womanhood within the Arabian Gulf. Departing from her usual penchant for portraiture, she turns instead toward fragmented details—hands in motion, the sway of fabrics, the shifting of jewellery and gestures of touch.

Drawing from her own childhood experiences, the project revisits formative moments once marked by an abrupt urgency to ‘become a woman,’ contextualising the often-unspoken harshness of growing up within systems of inherited expectation. Developed through conversations with women across generations, the work positions womanhood as something continuously negotiated and redefined across generations.

Curated by Sara Al Mheiri and Osemudiamen Ekore

All works commissioned by Sharjah Art Foundation,