Double Apple

Double Apple is my Arabized, playful spin on René Magritte’s The Son of Man. Magritte once spoke of his fascination with the hidden, the things that exist behind what we see—the mystery and intrigue of the unseen. In this reinterpretation, the figure is an Egyptian farmer, and instead of an apple, he stands behind a container of double apple tobacco, a beloved symbol of Arab culture.

This lighthearted spoof carries a deeper layer of meaning. Comedy, after all, is a universal language, and often, those most fluent in it use humor as a coping mechanism. For many, laughter becomes a shield, a way to escape the weight of a harsh reality. In this painting, I delve into the masks we wear—the fronts people put up to conceal their true selves, hiding their vulnerabilities and struggles behind a veil of humor and lightness. Double Apple invites us to reflect on what lies beneath the surface and the human tendency to use comedy as both a refuge and a form of survival.