Care Instructions
July 2025I once found a well-worn jumpsuit in my closet with holes repeatedly stitched up in the same place. Witnessing and practicing this act of repair may very well have been one of the few things that coaxed out a sense of kinship with my everyday life that was otherwise steeped in constant consumption. That feeling followed me every time I saw a stranger wearing something well-worn. It seemed to me that the practice of sitting down and committing to care work—with needle and thread—was an act of resistance against a backdrop of convenience culture.
I started to wonder if others did the same—and I followed this curiosity throughout the tail end of 2024, spending afternoons talking to Dubai residents about their treasured objects: how they’ve mended and cared for things that hold so much of their personal histories. Through this exploration documented through recorded conversations and a zine, I was reminded that while consumer culture insists there’s always more to be had, often, what we need may already be here.
Directed by Pauline Doctolero
Featuring Imelda Theresa
Jared Maxilom
Nicole Domingo
Poojitha Lakshman
Anwita Chirravuri
Araceli Gallego
Alegria Vallin
Camera support & Colour by
Victor Cubo
This work is supported by Art Jameel and Dubai Culture through the Research and Practice Platform
Dear Mama
June 2022Reflections on migration and yearning unfold through found letters, photographs and home footage. This video collage intertwines my memories with my mother’s migration experience, offering a meditation on time, endurance, and the longing for reunion.
Music by jean néant/ joni void
‘Audrey’
Featured in Sharjah Biennial 16, April Acts ‘to carry’ as part of Sa Tahanan Co.’s performance programme on April 2025