This painting narrates the story of Aya. I had the pleasure of connecting with her while traveling to Berlin, Germany for my project Women Across Borders. Aya has been a refugee in two countries. She is originally from Palestine and took refuge in Syria and later became an asylum seeker in Berlin, so for a large part of her life, she was misplaced and running from violence. The drips that fall from Aya’s hijab symbolize the tears and effort it took to get to where she is today.

Aya and her family are now settling well in Berlin and are establishing a sense of security and home. The two purple (one of her favorite colors) flowers springing from her right and left shoulder are Cornflowers, which are the national flowers of Germany. One represents her husband and the other their child, illustrating their growth and experience of being a settled family unit in Berlin. 
The Quran stresses the importance of education, being a devout Muslim, she feels very adamant about and attends college to pursue a degree in Media Science. The calligraphy behind her means “read” in Arabic, her first language. Aya chose this specific symbol herself “it's a very important word in the Quran”, she states.

Aya is an artist, as well. Her main practice is photography. The green (another of her favorite colors) circle behind her in the painting is meant to represent her camera lens. “I feel myself most behind the camera" she admits. This creative outlet has helped her process what she has gone through and manage the stress of it all. Her art focuses on the experience of being a refugee and survivor. She hopes to provide insight for those that might not understand the struggle and inspiration to go forward for those that are going through similar situations.