Keiran Molaeb

For second-generation immigrants, the home countries of our parents are relayed through oral histories: fond retellings and nostalgic memories of place that form inherited memories. Unable to return to Lebanon, my practice serves as a means of returning to this 'homeland' imaginatively. My work reflects on the distance I feel as a queer Lebanese-Australian from my family's home country, and the attempted methods to reconnect with and reclaim my personal cultural identity.

Inspired by the central theme of cultural roots, my practice engages with art-making as a fundamental method of reconnection, by dedicating myself to learning and continuing the various art-making practices that are rich in my lineage – particularly painting, music, and embroidery.

Through sound, translation, painting and installation, my practice aims to examine the nuances of connection, disconnection, memory and distance as framed through the diasporic experience.