No Signal
by Zoya Zalatimo
Zoya Zalatimo is a Palestinian American artist raised in Dubai, she currently studies in the United States. Zoya's digital illustrations largely tackle themes of identity, belonging, and her experiences as a diaspora Palestinian in the US.
Her piece 'No Signal' is a satirical visual representation of what she thinks some people imagine when she says she's from Dubai or Palestine. During her undergraduate studies, she applied for an executive position in her sorority, when she heard that other members thought she shouldn't get the role because they thought she couldn't be reached when she went back home. “Do people think a camel brings me handwritten letters?”, “What internet”, “Why do I often feel the need to defend myself like, ‘We have Shake Shack and Sephora.’ The concept of an Arab country being modernized and Westernized shouldn't be so impossible to comprehend.
You can find Zoya on her Instagram (@agonypita) and her website www.zoyazalatimo.com.