Faith is intrinsic to life: An oath to care and honour

Washing boards, collograph prints, soap bars

98 (w) x 68 (L) x 16 (D) cm

Photographs by Yasmine Killeen

Arabic: “And the only defeater is God” niches for the memories that I still revere about my mother’s dedication to her family.

I still recall waking at dawn to witness my mother’s silhouette against the soft light in the courtyard of our home to observe her daily dawn prostrations.

It was ambiguous at first, whether she was praying or washing clothes.

This anticipated ritual became a reassuring sight, as it gave me a sense of peace and a resolve between exiting a dream and the start of a new morning.

My mother used a wooden scrubbing board to wash clothes, it was a daily chore in a house full of kids.

I remember my mother’s shiny hands from the repeated movements of washing the clothes, which seemed to polish the surface of the wooden board, thus creating

Faith is intrinsic to life, an oath to care and honour. It is a duty that upholds and fulfils responsibilities by manifesting as a strength, which reveals itself in all aspects of society.

Both my mother’s religious devotion and family duties were interwoven to become a personal promise. The commitment of washing the clothes converted to a prayer, before the daily prayer.

The installation box (featured) houses a journey of life’s devotion.

My artwork is a tribute to my mother who passed away years ago in Morocco – may she rest in eternal peace.

Fatima Killeen is an award-winning Moroccan artist with acquisitions at Australian War Memorial, ANU, Human Rights Commission, Islamic Museum of Australia, National Museum of Australia, La Trobe University.