Separate, But Together
In Fall 2023, I started my journey at Cal State East Bay. I was a transfer from community college, and had all the necessary GE credits and foundational art classes out of the way, so I only had to focus on all of my upper division courses. One of my requirements was an interesting class called “Special Topics”.
Such a vague name for a course.
All I knew about the class was that it was taught by a different professor each semester, and they were the ones who chose what the “special topic” was for the semester. It was also a studio class on Fridays from 10 AM–3 PM. I was not at all expecting the journey I was about to experience with this course.
This course was focused on soft sculptures and inflatables. All of our projects were primarily made out of plastic and either blown up using fans or the air and wind around us. It was a medium I’d never used before, and it came with its own learning curve. Plastic wasn’t an easy material to work with, and my speciality was graphic design, not mixed media. Of course, that didn’t stop me. I figured it out along the way!
I was tasked with creating a project that I could be inside of. I am 5’6”, which meant I had to create a project that was larger than myself. Truthfully, I was overwhelmed with the idea. But I am happy to say that I created something I was proud of in the end!
Separate, But Together was meant to include two beings. I wanted it to be big enough for 2 people to hang out in, with enough space to sit together while in their own spaces. At this time of my life, I had just transferred from community college in my hometown to a whole new city and school. I had no friends, no family, no one except myself. I was determined to make new friends, and I started with my new roommates in my dorm. From the first day of meeting, we became close friends, trusting one another and confiding in one another as more than just roommates. I felt a sense of home with these people, and I felt a safety and vulnerability with them that was so rare to find. We could sit in comfortable silence within the same room and simply exist in peace together, never needing to be a particular person or present a particular way. Being ourselves and existing peacefully together was more than enough.
We weren’t always together. Perhaps we were in our own rooms doing our own things. Maybe we were back in our hometowns during a holiday break from school. But the knowledge that they were in the next room over or just a phone call away was calming to me. It was safe. We were still together and connected, despite our separation from one another.
I now live in my own apartment with one of those girls. I think of her often when I think of this project. In a way, she was my inspiration.
Nouran Badawy | Separate, But Together | plastic tarp and a large box fan | 2025 | 3' x 3' x 9'
Separate, But Together
In Fall 2023, I started my journey at Cal State East Bay. I was a transfer from community college, and had all the necessary GE credits and foundational art classes out of the way, so I only had to focus on all of my upper division courses. One of my requirements was an interesting class called “Special Topics”.
Such a vague name for a course.
All I knew about the class was that it was taught by a different professor each semester, and they were the ones who chose what the “special topic” was for the semester. It was also a studio class on Fridays from 10 AM–3 PM. I was not at all expecting the journey I was about to experience with this course.
This course was focused on soft sculptures and inflatables. All of our projects were primarily made out of plastic and either blown up using fans or the air and wind around us. It was a medium I’d never used before, and it came with its own learning curve. Plastic wasn’t an easy material to work with, and my speciality was graphic design, not mixed media. Of course, that didn’t stop me. I figured it out along the way!
I was tasked with creating a project that I could be inside of. I am 5’6”, which meant I had to create a project that was larger than myself. Truthfully, I was overwhelmed with the idea. But I am happy to say that I created something I was proud of in the end!
Separate, But Together was meant to include two beings. I wanted it to be big enough for 2 people to hang out in, with enough space to sit together while in their own spaces. At this time of my life, I had just transferred from community college in my hometown to a whole new city and school. I had no friends, no family, no one except myself. I was determined to make new friends, and I started with my new roommates in my dorm. From the first day of meeting, we became close friends, trusting one another and confiding in one another as more than just roommates. I felt a sense of home with these people, and I felt a safety and vulnerability with them that was so rare to find. We could sit in comfortable silence within the same room and simply exist in peace together, never needing to be a particular person or present a particular way. Being ourselves and existing peacefully together was more than enough.
We weren’t always together. Perhaps we were in our own rooms doing our own things. Maybe we were back in our hometowns during a holiday break from school. But the knowledge that they were in the next room over or just a phone call away was calming to me. It was safe. We were still together and connected, despite our separation from one another.
I now live in my own apartment with one of those girls. I think of her often when I think of this project. In a way, she was my inspiration.
Nouran Badawy | Separate, But Together | plastic tarp and a large box fan | 2025 | 3' x 3' x 9'