“Heaven’s Doors” (2014), presents a counter vantage point. An elaborate aluminum light box contains arched stained glass windows, the ornate forms of which are made from kitchen tools such as pots, colanders, and baskets. Replicating a facet of religious architecture with cooking objects, AlShashai prompts the viewer to reconsider the definition of sacred space by pointing to the moments of divine evocation that can be found in everyday acts, the preparation of food serving as an analogy for the sense of spiritual sustenance that can be obtained through religious beliefs and practices. 

Courtesy of the artist and Hafez Gallery