Khalid Albaih
Born 1980, Romania
Lives and works between Oslo, Norway and Doha, Qatar 

Haboba 2026
fabric, stuffing, foam mattress, timber, thread

The Last Time 2026
photographic prints on paper, text
Commissioned by the Biennale of Sydney and Rubaiya Qatar, Qatar Museums with generous assistance from Office for Contemporary Art Norway
Courtesy of the artist 

Haboba, meaning grandmother or matriarch in Sudanese culture, is a soft sculpture and communal sofa made from traditional patterned fabric, situated within a room surrounded by photographs. In Sudanese homes, a haboba is an ever-present figure, “always looking after you, and always surrounded by children,” as Albaih describes, recalling the intimacy and care of domestic life. Haboba’s constant presence activates the space, encouraging visitors to sit beside her for a personal moment, while for those from the Sudanese diaspora, it evokes a sense of home lost amid the ongoing war. 

The Last Time presents photographs of Sudan contributed by members of Sydney’s Sudanese community. Each image with a written memory on the back, offers an intimate glimpse into lives shaped by migration and displacement. Developed through workshops and community collaboration, the installation becomes an evolving space of shared recollection and storytelling, honouring what was left behind while holding onto what continues to endure. 

For Albaih, this work is not about nostalgia, but survival: remembrance understood as something living, shaped with care and carried forward by those who hold it. Visitors are invited to move among these fragments, sensing the quiet intimacy of home that lingers alongside what has been lost.