Writing/Essay/Journal
Once printmaker Hend Al-Mansour gained some distance from the cultural strictness that caused her to leave Saudi Arabia, she realized that the voice she now was free to express grew out of the richness of Saudi Arabian culture. She uses traditional forms of poetry and visual art to express new truths.

Write a short poem that reveals a truth about you in your culture beginning with her lines:
“I am writing my face
Hear me, Oh home …”

Activity
Hend Al-Mansour often pairs her visual art with poetry. Create a piece self portrait to accompany your poem. It can be any type of visual art—a photograph, a sculpture, a painting/drawing, etc. Make sure both your poem and your portrait contribute to clear expression of who you are within your cultural context.