Family Recipes for Self-Care
There are so many ways we can practice "self-care," from eating luxury meals to simply getting enough sleep. In this self-care recipe book, I explore all the different ways in which we can take care of ourselves to ultimately heal from individual and societal traumas. I have incorporated South Asian food, something that has always nourished my soul. The fundamentals of self-care are described as "Daal Chawal," or rice and daal, a routine, mundane meal which promises that all nutrients are met. The more luxurious self-care activities are described as "Zafran Karak," a comforting cup of tea made with one of the most expensive spices in the world: saffron. I describe the more "uncomfortable" practices of self-care with "Nimbu Ka Achar," or lemon pickle, its flavor becoming more better over time with enough patience and preservation.
Lubnah Ansari is an Indian multidisciplinary artist based in the UAE. Specializing in photography and film, Ansari has presented her work in Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Jaipur, and Abu Dhabi. A social advocate and experimental filmmaker, she is a dual recipient of NYU’s Innovative Leadership Award (2018) and the NYU Film Grant (2020). Her short, “A Quarantine Production,” was selected for an upcoming documentary by Bob Saget. Ansari writes for The Gazelle, an Abu Dhabi-based independent publication. She received her BA in Sociology and Interactive Media from NYU Abu Dhabi and is currently curating a grassroots exhibition on South Asia-UAE cultural interplays. Follow her on Instagram: @groovy_luby