Queendom

“It was not certain that Britannia existed until I went there.” — Julius Caesar

It was not certain that Queen Zenobia existed until her coin was found. Yet Zenobia did exist—she led an entire empire, stole Egypt from Rome, and came close to defeating the Roman Empire. The reason we know of Queen Zenobia is because she made herself visible. And it is for that same visibility that she met her demise.

This installation features Teta’s abaya. Inside it lies Teta’s old purse, and within the purse is Leena’s journal—in it a reflection on the fear of paper, the fear of being visible, and the fear of becoming colonized. Surrounding the structure are collaged images referencing the Syrian Queen Zenobia, who dared to resist Roman colonization. Artifacts and images of her coin are intertwined with drawings and symbols exploring femininity, power, and who holds it.