Color Speak is an insight on how dress color control can influence the lives of women in societies in the Arabian Gulf. Noof grew up wearing a black abaya all her life, in her project she explored the meaning of wearing color and how that reflects on the psychology of the women who wear it. The names of her color swatches reflect empowerment and a beautiful confirmation that color has the power to liberate. The simplicity of the idea would pass unnoticed if you did not know that historically color was used to divide social classes with ruling classes banning the masses from wearing the color purple in ancient Rome or that peasants in some medieval societies were only allowed to wear brown. During her senior jury presentation Noof wore a green abaya signifying “Finally Free” according to her color system. We rarely get the chance to witness the individual freedom of people we encounter by chance and I am humbled by the fact that I got to see Noof wear a color of her choice in public for the first time in her life.

Our Life is a Game criticizes how society perceives marriage and women in Qatari society. In her witty display, women become labelled wooden toys devoid of life or choice. Her presentation of such a complex social system in a humorous and lighthearted, but at the same time very insightful way, reveals how some women are objectified and commodified like the toys she represented. Her project is critical of the lack of freedom of choosing a life and love partner and how society labels women based on their external looks, their age, their social background but not on who they are as humans.

Both projects highlight women’s rights and freedom in choosing what fits them as individuals. Whether it is as simple as choosing the color of the dress you want to wear or as complex as choosing your life partner.