Basel Zaraa is a Palestinian artist based in the United Kingdom whose work utilizes the senses to bring the audience closer to experiences of exile and identity search.

He seeks to evoke emotional and intellectual resonance in his audience, inviting them to reflect on the realities of exile and identity within a Palestinian or broader context. His works establish connections between different cultures and experiences, thus offering fresh and enriching perspectives on often challenging subjects. His two last projects before Dear Leila were « As Far As Isolation Goes » and « As Far As My Fingertips Take Me ». 

Both created in collaboration with artist Tania El Khoury, they were one to one installations experienced through a gallery wall, with an audience member on one side and Basel on the other side. The installations used touch and sound to bring audiences closer to experiences of displacement and the journey that refugees takes to find safety, and also focused on mental and physical health experiences of refugees in the United Kingdom. I have also been part of Alleyway radical theatre, a collective of seven artists from different backgrounds with experience in mime, dance, puppetry, physical theatre and music.