A Handful Of Pistachios

The idea of “A Handful of Pistachios” was born after the February 2023 earthquake that once again revealed the wounds of Aleppo and its people. For me, the earthquake took me back to a point before zero, and opened the box of emotions for the thousandth time. I was there in body only but in mind, in heart, in spirit… I was here. From that moment, I imagined myself hugging Aleppo with all it holds, its streets, its people, a long hug, blowing gently on wounds that deepen each day. This work is an attempt to soothe, to calm the spirit and reassure it. “Handful”… because metaphorically, it means abundance, more than plenty. “Pistachio”… because it is born of heat and warmth, and signifies a looooong warm hug, as if my heart had gathered all the love from Aleppo into one handful, to offer it to the whole world at once.