For this portrait series, I worked on my own self-portrait. I was 20 years old and had grown up in Kuwait, although I was originally Lebanese, where many of these taboos were not as controversial. The dual nature of my identity left me in a state of in-betweenness; living in Kuwait meant I had to abide by a conservative nature and cultural restrictions, but being Lebanese almost gave me a free card to act more openly. Through much reflection, I realized some of the controversial topics that had deeply affected me included the stigma around mental health and the constant pressure to live my life with a specific etiquette.

When examining the stigma around mental health, the lack of education about the topic, as well as the controversy surrounding it, left me very insecure and confused about many of my own mental health issues. These ideas led me to repress the issues I was dealing with and pretend they didn't exist. Regarding expectations of etiquette, it had always been reinforced that there was a certain standard of beauty and poise that had to be maintained at all times, whether through how one spoke, what one wore, or how one looked. This idea of the standard resulted in a sense of pressure that I imposed on myself.