Mashael Alsaie: False Pools

Mashael Alsaie, False Pools IV, from the series False Pools (2020) archival inkjet print, 35 mm film. Courtesy of the Artist.

A Bahraini legend tells of the Adhari spring as a sanctimonious site wherein a virginal maiden's tears manifested into the ever-flowing water source. This series attempts to dislocate the site of this tale by documenting a series of serendipitous water puddles both on and off the island, challenging and re-situating both reality and myth.

Mashael Alsaie is a photographer and video artist based between Bahrain and UAE. Mashael’s work forms fractured narratives that reflect critical thinking about femininity, ritual, and representation. She holds a BA in Urban Studies from UC Berkeley and is currently pursuing an MA in Photography, Video, and Media Arts at New York University. Her work has been featured in group exhibitions at Warehouse421 (2021), Misk Riyadh (2020), and PS122 New York (2019). Mashael has recently completed a residency at Residency Unlimited in Brooklyn, New York, and is a fellow at Salama Bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation (2021).

Website: www.filmbymashael.com

Instagram: @filmbymashael