Studio Sessions
Join us for Postcard Poems with Balqees Alhawamdeh, a playful studio session that invites you to explore poetry through writing, color, and form.
Everyone is a poet. Whether you love reading verse, enjoy writing, or simply appreciate quiet moments of reflection, poetry often shapes how we think, feel, and express ourselves. In this session, poet Balqees Alhawamdeh invites participants to explore poetry in an approachable and creative way by crafting their own postcard poem—a short poem translated into a visual composition using color, collage, and form.
The session begins with a sharing circle where participants are invited to bring and share a favorite poem or a line by their favorite writer. If you don’t have one, you are welcome to share a memory that resonates with you instead. Using a line from a poem or a personal memory as a prompt, participants will move into a guided writing exercise and free-writing session. The workshop then transitions into translating the poem into postcard form, experimenting with stamping, coloring, and collaging to transform words into a visual object.
Participants will leave with their own postcard poem and a 421 Artist-Kit curated by Balqees, including her Poetry Guide and a poetry book she often returns to—tools to continue exploring poetry and building a personal writing practice.
Accessibility & Participation
Open to ages 18+
No prior experience required.
Materials will be provided.
Language: English with Arabic support available
About the Artist
Balqees Alhawamdeh is a writer and poet based in Abu Dhabi whose practice centers on making writing accessible and approachable for diverse audiences. Her work explores poetry as both a literary and visual form, often experimenting with formats such as postcards and small-scale publications. She participated in the Writers’ Suhoor program at 421 Arts Campus in 2024, has published work with Wijdan Online Magazine, and presented her postcard series with BAMBAM! Publishing at the Focal Point Art Book Fair at Sharjah Art Foundation in 2025.