Adria Zal
Enough! Darling Enough! - Mohammed Bahar
Watermelon seeds
Available for Loan

My installation Enough! Darling Enough! - Mohammed Bahar is titled after a Palestinian young man diagnosed with Down syndrome while also being nonverbal. His mother, who had cared for him his entire life, witnessed him being attacked by an army dog.  When said his first and last words, he said “Enough darling, enough” while attempting to pet the same dog who was taking his life. Mohammed Bahar is one story out of 40,000.

Inspired by Felix Gonzalez-Torres’s Untitled (Portrait of Ross in L.A), I collected 40,000 watermelon seeds representing the lives (the children of all mothers) currently lost in the war on Gaza. Due to the similarity in color to their flag, Palestine has adopted the watermelon as a form of resilience against the Israeli occupation of Palestinian Territories. Like people, when put under pressure, a watermelon will burst, forcing the seeds to propagate. Despite the tragic loss of innocent lives, I hope that individuals will take some seeds home, plant them, and watch them grow and propagate simultaneously with the Palestinian people.

 

Artist Bio

Adria Zal is a New York City / New Jersey-based feminist artist. Her mission is to create work that de-stigmatizes the societal standards imposed on women’s bodies by the medical community, social media, and those in their everyday lives. Adria’s work aims to shift how women suffering from postpartum depression and body dysmorphia perceive themselves while raising awareness among her audience and those experiencing these changes in their loved ones. She is committed to exhibiting her work in non-traditional spaces to reach individuals with similar insecurities. Currently, she is collaborating with gynecologists in the New Jersey area to showcase her work in their practices, hoping to empower women by normalizing their natural beauty.