No. 1 (Hide & Sew) narrates stories caught up between shifting personal and collective identities. Afra Al Dhaheri’s practice in general relates to her childhood and Emirati heritage, opening and exploring the nuances. Similarly, this work chooses to highlight the significance of textiles in Arab culture, with their close relationship to women’s labour and their role in the preservation of cultural heritage. The act of sewing becomes symbolic of creation as well as concealment, speaking of the recurring hidden narratives within the fabric of society. The title of the work investigates the duality of visibility and invisibility in cultural narratives. Created during the pandemic, No. 1 (Hide & Sew) reflects Afra's contemplation of her generational upbringing, the idea of covering and uncovering bound by social constructs and taboos. Historically, as equally in today’s context, the choice of covering oneself up was a political tool for women to express agency in the face of the commodification of the body by imperial powers and patriarchal forces. In colonial contexts, there was a fetishised and political desire to unveil the Muslim woman. Hence, women sought out social amelioration through their personal choices of choosing to cover themselves or not, establishing themselves as more than pawns caught up in political-cultural battlegrounds. 

Afra retells stories of hiding and revealing, portraying the stress of proving one's identity. She uses traditional materials associated with Emirati culture alongside Western elements like oil pastels, rooting her work in her cultural context while engaging with contemporary art practices. Her sensitive amalgamation of abstraction and representation encourages viewers to engage with the textures and forms in a tactile way, evoking emotional responses. The work serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of not forgetting one’s heritage in the face of modernity and neo-imperialism.