Nadia Irshaid Gilbert

Nadia’s work takes a multifaceted approach to the activation of humanity through visual art and healing spaces. She is a Palestinian-American filmmaker, visual artist, chef, and Reiki master. Whether through film, in person workshops, or performances, Nadia aims to create immersive experiences through her work that plant seeds of empathy and wonder. She feels it is her responsibility in this life to be a conduit for others to open their hearts to the unfamiliar, and to bridge cultural connections between “East” and “West”.

She has had the privilege of visiting and working with the individuals in Jordan’s Jerash refugee camp over the years. These visits were to provide essential aid, and assess the needs of  individual families. On these days, she has taken portraits and videos with individuals, and collected their oral histories. These images were meant to be experienced on a large scale, so that the viewer feels they could step into the room with them.

Over the last several years her work has expanded from film into the food world, where she created the Sahtein project, which celebrates Palestinian cuisine and wisdom, and asks us to redefine our idea of what it means to be nourished. Sahtein includes a cooking show, virtual cooking and meditation workshops, and in person experiences. Nadia believes that “what we consume, through our mouths, eyes and ears has the power to change our life and world.”