From 2011-2014, I lived in Cairo, Egypt. During that time, I saw three presidents come and go. I explored the country in all directions, from the remote oasis at Siwa to Fayoum, Luxor, Aswan and further south to the Sudanese border. I was stricken with injury in the Red Sea and couldn't walk for a week. I wandered through souks and markets, laughed with potters and metalworkers and farmers, and dodged taxis flying wildly through Cairo streets.

During this time, I kept a sketchbook where I wrote and drew, responding to the things that I saw, the utterances I heard, and ideas that I came across. It is a meditation on the people, the history, the culture, the social structure, and the theology of Egypt. In Arabic, Egypt is often called "Um al-Dunya," or "Mother of the World." After my time there, I can passionately agree that this is true.