This is part of a body of work I created at an artist colony in Nebraska after living in Morocco. The works are my attempt to comprehend some of my experiences there and integrate them into my world and life view. Moroccan designs are most often four-way symmetrical, presumably to display the perfection that is Allah without depicting it in human form. The graphics in this work are inspired by Moroccan plaster work and decorative tiles. Inside the hands we get a glimpse of violent explosions of paint which contrast with the calm clarity of the rest of the piece. This is an attempt to marry two aspects of my own creative style as well as aspects of Moroccan culture, which can be a dizzying spectacle of clashing and mixing cultures all living under the quiet, intentional umbrella of Islam. All of my works contain imperfections; it is my way of building intimacy between the viewer and my self - a sort of inside joke as well as a reminder that these works are created by a fallible human being.