Born in Nazareth and living in Palestine and the United States, Waked's art transforms the Middle Eastern conflict into a somber cabaret.

 His work shapes junctures between contemporary political artifacts and the region's cultural heritage—spanning art, archaeology, calligraphy, and literature. 

Waked has exhibited in more than 40 countries worldwide, including at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; Tate Modern, London; Queens Museum, New York; Macro al Mattatoio Museum, Rome; Mori Art Museum, Tokyo; Singapore Art Museum; Musée Granet, Aix-en-Provence; Warsaw Museum of Modern Art; Jeu de Paume, Paris; Carrousel du Louvre, Paris; Royal Academy of Arts, London; KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin; Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane, Australia; and the Sharjah Biennial 6 and 9.