Disorientation
2017
Three textile flags on flag poles

Cultural identity is generally defined as an individual’s self-perception and connection to a nationality, ethnicity, or a social group which has its own recognizable culture. Shamma Buhazza’s own cultural identity was often questioned during her childhood. Using the medium of a flag — a format usually reserved for national representation — Buhazza attempts to culturally identify herself as an individual. She draws from the flags of her mixed heritage — Somalia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and the United Kingdom — and integrates visual elements from each to create a series rather than just one flag. The multiple flags and their fragmented aesthetic signal that she does not feel more part of one culture than of another. Disorientation embraces the complexity and uncertainty that unfolds when trying to locate one’s own cultural identity.