Twisted Hands carry قاهر الدمعة

I created this work for the group exhibition "8 AM" at Culterim Gallery in Berlin. The project is an exploration of how we humanize technology through language and memory.

I chose clay as the primary medium because it is a "down-to-earth," basic material used since the beginning of human expression and tool-making. By shaping these mobile phones into clay tablets, I wanted to create a physical link to ancient artifacts like the Code of Hammurabi. While we use digital "tablets" today, these ceramic pieces bridge that gap, turning modern devices into something that feels archival and primal.

The Naming Culture: Growing up in Saudi Arabia, these Nokia phones were never just model numbers; they were given names that made them personal to the region. These nicknames gave the machines a human character. The title of the work refers to these names:

  • قاهر الدمعة (The Breaker of Tears)

  • العنيد (The Stubborn One)

  • الباندا (The Panda)

  • الشيطان (The Devil)

Process and Materials:

  • Analog-to-Digital: The phones began as hand-sculpted clay tablets. I then used 3D scanning to bring these traditional shapes into the digital realm.

  • Sculptural Contrast: The final installation features the ceramic phones held by white, 3D-printed hands.

  • AI Intervention: I used AI to help design the "twisted" and fragmented shapes of the hands, creating a tension between the ancient feeling of the clay and the glitchy, algorithmic nature of the 3D prints.

This project reflects my interest in creating "fragmented, sarcastic stories" that balance physical craft with digital tools.

3D Scanned Asset , 3d scanned Clay Hand made Tablet .

"bad phones" that would spontaneously explode. I never actually saw one go off ...

mix of unburned clay and metal fragments, combined with plastic "nesting" errors I pulled straight out of my 3D printer. Even the AI-generated hands holding the phone have "error fingers," technical glitch of the device itself. It exists somewhere between an ancient ceramic tablet and a digital hardware malfunction.