By combining dreams and fantasies with references to pop culture and sexual histories, Tarek puts a queer spin on the traditions of sculpture, drawing, and storytelling. This twist is also visible in the sculpture THAT EVIL PART INSIDE OF ME IS LAUGHING, realised for his solo exhibition BLISS at Migros Museum, Zurich (2024). The large head of a devil – usually a creature of male semblances but which appears here with diva-like eyelashes – references Pokemon characters and purple devil emojis. Tarek samples and remixes recognisable traces used to communicate playfulness and desire to confuse the usual appearance of characters, especially the ones associated with evil, creating hybrids that elude canonical forms. (Giulia Civardi)