Shireen only found art in her mid-20s. She had always been interested in the idea of cultural exchange, so began studying international languages and relations at university. She soon realised, however, that she wasn’t interested in either the contest of ideas found in adversarial politics or working in language translation. “I wanted something more visual and creative that would allow me to put a lot of questions out in my local environment and explore my own understanding of my culture,” she said. “I had always been interested in the arts, and had gone to exhibitions and talks, but I didn’t feel compelled to be someone who makes artworks until my mid-20s. Now it’s become my voice.” CULTURE 19