The Gallery at Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar) is to present “YA 3ASAL”, a new solo exhibition by British-Sudanese artist and designer Sarah Elawad, on view from August 28 to October 9.
In YA 3ASAL, Elawad draws on personal memories and shared cultural practices to explore the deep emotional and symbolic meanings of sweets in Arab and Sudanese traditions of hospitality.
The title itself – YA 3ASAL, a common Arabic term of endearment meaning “Hey, honey!” – captures the exhibition’s warm, affectionate tone and its celebration of connection through sensory experience.
The inspiration for the exhibition began with a small but powerful moment.
As Elawad recounts: “A few months ago, I was at Eid prayer in Washington Square Park in New York when a little girl tapped me on the shoulder and offered me a caramel.
“As I bit into it, I was immediately taken back to my childhood – to our family living room full of guests, the smell of bakhoor in the air.”
This encounter sparked a deeper reflection on the way food, particularly sweets, can act as vessels of memory and emotion.
At the heart of the exhibition is a recognition of how sweetness operates as a cultural language of love, celebration, and care.
Elawad notes that in many Arab households, “it’s almost disrespectful to not have something sweet to offer your guests”.
“Whether it’s a sugary drink, a baked good, or a piece of chocolate from a box, sweets are a way of showing hospitality, of spreading joy,” she said.
For Chase Westfall, the director of Exhibitions and Programmes at VCUarts Qatar and co-curator of the show, Elawad’s work resonates on multiple levels.
“Sarah Elawad’s work is visually lush and emotionally resonant,” he said. “She has a remarkable ability to translate personal memory into collective meaning, inviting us to feel, remember, and reflect through the universal language of sweets and care.”
In this spirit, YA 3ASAL transforms the gallery into a space of shared memory.
Shimmering textiles, brightly coloured walls, glowing television screens, and playful graphic forms nod to the living rooms and parlours where rituals of hospitality unfold.
Curated by Dina Alkhateeb, the head of Gallery Chase Westfall and The Gallery’s Associate Curator of Campus Projects, the exhibition is part of The Gallery at VCUarts Qatar’s ongoing mission to present innovative, cross-cultural work that speaks to identity, place, and personal experience.
