where does your food come from?

'where does your food come from? pressure cooker activity guide' . 2025

illustration of 'pressure cooker' curator azza aboualam . 2025

illustration portraits of 'pressure cooker' curator azza aboualam . 2025

illustration of the map of the uae . 2025

illustration of drip irrigation system . 2025

illustration of greenhouse kit-of-parts assemblages . 2025

illustration of an orto . 2025

illustration of a dining table . 2025

illustration of blueberries . 2025

illustration of kitchen utensils . 2025

here's another series of illustrations i worked on for this year's national pavilion uae's exhibition 'pressure cooker', at the 19th international architecture exhibition – la biennale di venezia, curated by azza aboualam (see previous post on illustrations for the exhibition here.)

i had the opportunity to work on the activity guide titled 'where does your food come from?'. the guide is meant to be used by young visitors and their parents as they explore and interact with the exhibition, responding to prompts relating to food, farming and climate change.

besides the illustrations, i was also responsible for the overall layout of the guide and writing the texts and prompts (with help from the national pavilion uae team). i'm really happy with the end result of the guide, especially the illustrations – my favourites are the portraits of the curator, and the examples of the greenhouse models! i hope families and visitors young and old enjoy the activity guide as they walk through the exhibition.

thank you once again to the national pavilion uae and azza for the opportunity and trust to work on additional illustrations for 'Pressure Cooker'. i'm truly proud to have been a part of the team, and have my illustrations play a part in this project.

pressure cooker

chapter 0 opening illustration . 2025

chapter 1 opening illustration . 2025

chapter 2 opening illustration . 2025

chapter 3 opening illustration . 2025

chapter 4 opening illustration . 2025

chapter 5 opening illustration . 2025

'ras al khaimah field visit' . 2025 (map by nujud alhussain)

'liwa field visit' . 2025 (map by nujud alhussain)

'hatta field visit' . 2025 (map by nujud alhussain)

'masafi field visit' . 2025 (map by nujud alhussain)

'al ain field visit' . 2025 (map by nujud alhussain)

'al zubair field visit' . 2025 (map by nujud alhussain)

'arenco 26 villas in dubai' . 2025 (section perspective by azza aboualam and noor hamdan)

'wasit suburbs green edge in sharjah' . 2025 (section perspective by azza aboualam and noor hamdan)

'al angham park in abu dhabi' . 2025 (section perspective by azza aboualam and noor hamdan)

epilogue opening illustration . 2025

here are a series of illustrations i worked on for this year's national pavilion uae's exhibition 'pressure cooker', at the 19th international architecture exhibition – la biennale di venenzia in italy!

i was invited by the curator azza aboualam to be a part of the project team and contribute towards her research on architecture and food production. we had some awesome road trips exploring farms and greenhouses around the country, alongside project photographer ola allouz. it was great having the opportunity to drive around the emirates and explore the various landscapes, as well as encountering various types of farms. there were lots of laughs, sweats, snacks and inspiration!

the final illustrations you see above are the visual results responding to the many field trips, contributed essays and curatorial research. all the illustrations are included in the publication, as well as moments around the exhibition space in venice. if anyone reading this plans to make a quick stop to venice between now and november, please do stop by the national pavilion uae exhibition space at the biennale. it really is a great presentation. learn more about 'pressure cooker' here.

i can't begin to explain how proud i am of these illustrations. thank you azza and the national pavilion uae team for the opportunity – hope i did you proud! it was truly an honour to be a part of this project. to anyone reading this post, i hope you enjoy the illustrations as much as i did working on them.

ending this post with a few photos of the illustrations in print – in the exhibition publication and as oversized postcards!

illustrations in 'pressure cooker recipes: an architectural cookbook' . 2025

illustrations in 'pressure cooker recipes: an architectural cookbook' . 2025

illustrations in 'pressure cooker recipes: an architectural cookbook' . 2025

illustration postcards (oversized) . 2025 (maps by nujud alhussain)