Ahlan wa sahlan! My name is Lorain - this is the name assigned to me at birth and the name that I use in public environments. But with family and in more intimate settings, I am Lulu. I am a visual artist, storyteller and educator creating work that centers the collective preservation of Palestine. My family was dispossessed of their ancestral lands in 1948 with Isr*eli colonization of Palestine. As a consequence, many of my family members resettled on occupied indigenous lands throughout Turtle Island. I was born and raised on unceded Kumeyaay land. 

Growing up, I was surrounded by immigrant communities but the only other Arabs I really interacted with as a kid were family members and close family friends. Like many belonging to diasporic communities, the preservation of culinary practices and storytelling with food became threads that wove our experiences into our homeland’s tapestries. My deepest connection to Palestine was through our rich traditions around food and the generous hospitality my family and our friends nourished everyone around us with. What continues to be most memorable for me are the ways in which our kitchens and tables create an affectionate space for storytelling. Much of what I have learned about my lineage has been imparted onto me while spending time with family members preparing food in our kitchens and sharing meals at our tables. These sacred stories have served as my life force.

Palestinian hospitality is legendary – it is regal, vibrant, abundant and attentive. Creating space for our stories and practicing our culinary traditions in spite of forced displacement and ongoing settler colonial violence is a commitment to cultural resistance. However, our culture and our relationship to land predates our resistance. With that as a guiding spirit, I created Lulu’s Kitchen to center and honor our connection to family, memory, community, and ancestral wisdom through culinary experiences that I intend to share. 

This project is an invitation to immerse all of the senses in pleasure through intimate dining experiences that reflect the remarkable qualities of Palestinian hospitality and the cuisine shared in our homes. 

Lulu’s Kitchen pays homage to the wisdom that I continue to inherit in this lifetime. This project is dedicated to — my Mama, Basemeh for always teaching us kids to be critical and proud, and for showing up as my number one fan. For my Baba, Khalil for showing us how to adapt, experiment, approach our work with creativity, and for demonstrating the epitome of acts of service as a love language. For my Sito, Amina for sitting with me for hours at a time so that I could document your process, for slowing down so I could measure out ingredients, and for sharing stories throughout the process. For my Sido Saudi, Allah yerhamak for the epic stories you shared with us grandchildren, and for the affinity you held for the land. Lastly, for my Sito Fawzieh and Sido Ahmad who remained in Palestine, Allah yerhamkom. I will always grieve the relationship that displacement prevented us from having with the both of you. But you have taught me how to remember, and for that I am forever grateful. Thank you, thank you, thank you. 

with love,

Lulu