Portrait of Hawa is part of the "Mainer Project" oeuvre of Pigeon (Orson Horchler), a street artist who creates community by confronting the customs, practices, laws, institutions and attitudes that tell us we are not at home in the place we live.

The "Mainer Project" tackles the accepted use of the word “Mainer,” a word conventionally used to refer exclusively to Maine residents whose families have been here for several generations. Pigeon was moved to do an initial installation of this project after Maine governor Paul LePage attempted to stop General Assistance funds from going to asylum seekers residing in Maine.

The subjects in the portraits are all acquaintances of the artist who reside in Maine. Hawa is a Muslim woman who was living in Maine in 2016.