Zayn Qahtani's 'The Whisperings' at Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery

Bahraini artist Zayn Qahtani presents 'The Whisperings', her first solo exhibition at Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, featuring sculptures and mixed-media works on paper that explore subliminal messages and the 'whispering world'—an in-between space of hopes, desires, and prayers. Qahtani uses organic materials like date palm paper, sugarcane bioplastics, and natural pigments to create textural works that feel ancient yet dream-like. Works such as 'Even the Set Sun Rises' depict goddess-like figures in natural settings, linking personal transformation to nature's rhythms. 'Growing Pains', 'The Moon Blood Plant', and 'Why Do I Still Persevere?' trace anthropomorphic plant life cycles from seedling to death. 'Manifesting' satirizes devotional practices with a figure in prayer, using crushed abalone shells for iridescence. Little golden anime-like figures appear throughout as guardians, inspired by Qahtani's time in China playing video games during isolation. The exhibition invites viewers into a space between knowing and believing, where meanings remain unresolved.