Gazan artist Tayseer Barakat speaks on land and loss at Zawyeh Gallery
- 28 Jun 2024
Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer
Zawyeh Gallery, with spaces in Ramallah, Palestine, and Dubai, has announced the upcoming launch of Gaza: Recalling the Collage of a Place, a 3D virtual exhibition showcasing the early works of Gazan artist Tayseer Barakat (July 1 – Sept. 15). Barakat’s work consists of both personal recollections and historical manuscripts predating Israeli occupation; it offers a profound narrative of resistance, resilience, history and remembrance. In the exhibition, Barakat draws on his childhood memories and cultural heritage of Gaza, particularly of the Jabaliya refugee camp, where he was born. Through his works, he delves deep into the rich and intricate tapestry of Gaza.
Barakat (b. 1959, Gaza) completed his arts education in Alexandria, Egypt, in 1983. After his studies, he moved to Ramallah where he has since been based – both teaching and creating art. He has worked with a variety media and has experimented widely – with wood, metal and glass; he is today one of Palestine’s foremost artists. He belongs to a family originally from Al-Majdal, a village in Lower Galilee that was bulldozed by Zionist forces in 1948. He completed his early education at Abu Hussein School for Boys in the Jabaliya camp and later pursued his graduate studies at the College of Fine Arts of Helwan University in Alexandria, Egypt.
After earning his BA in painting in 1983, he returned to his homeland to teach art at the UNWRA-run women’s teacher training centre in Ramallah. He became a founding member of Al-Wasiti Art Center in Jerusalem, Al-Hallaj Hall in Ramallah, the Palestinian Association for Contemporary Art (PACA) and the International Academy of Arts in Palestine in Ramallah. To date, he runs the Ziryab cafe and art space in Ramallah, which he founded as a meeting place for artists and intellectuals of the West Bank.
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Since birth, Barakat has lived in times of war, conflict, and displacement. Following the 1967 Naksa, at the age of eight, Barakat witnessed the Israeli occupation of Gaza and the subsequent deterioration of living conditions for Palestinians there. (The 1967 Palestinian exodus or Naksa (literally “setback”) refers to the flight of around 280,000 to 325,000 Palestinians out of the territories captured by Israel during and in the aftermath of the Six-Day War, including the razing of numerous Palestinian villages).
Growing up amid the squalor and hardship of a clustered and highly populated refugee camp, Barakat felt imprisoned within his own homeland. During the long intervals of curfew, he vented his feelings by producing art. Despite circumstances, the fertile agricultural lands of Gaza also inspired him; he first discovered his artistic inclinations while enjoying the natural landscape. In 1981, Barakat toured the West Bank for forty days on foot, sleeping in open air amidst trees and mountainous terrain. He discovered villages and towns he had only heard about. He was inspired by the stories of his parents and grandparents to explore the places he had grown up close to, but had not been able to access.
At Deir Ghassaneh, a village he chose to make his new home in 1984, Barakat committed himself more deeply to the ancient history of his land, retracing the lives of his ancestors in an attempt to defy the Zionist erasure of Palestinian existence. “His work is based on extensive research into the ancient arts of the region as a whole, drawing from Canaanite, Phoenician, Mesopotamian and Ancient Egyptian cultures,” says Wafa Roz of Dalloul Art Foundation. “However, he does not adhere strictly to any one style. His practice instead relies on intuition, imagination, and the dynamics of the work itself, as it takes shape.”
The pieces in the Dubai show, often employing collage, various printing techniques, inks and dyes, serve as poignant reflections on Gaza amidst ongoing challenges. As recent events have tragically underscored, the memories and cultural fabric of Gaza face relentless provocations. Barakat’s distance from Gaza and his infrequent visits there due to the Israeli occupation, can be noticed in the series. The longing for place, people and intimate social scenes, is apparent in almost every work and the choice of collage by the artist is perhaps an excellent way to express the topic.
Barakat’s works can be seen as maps of social and geographic fragmentation; they are visual representations of how he experiences the memory of his childhood. As the war continues, the displacement of people and the destruction of entire areas can diminish memories. The artworks therefore serve as personal and national registers, constructing and filing the visual memory of people and places, some of which will never be seen again the same way. Barakat assembles stories, faces, geographies and even children’s drawings together, producing a mosaic of social scenes. The heavy miasma of occupation predominates his works. They tell stories of occupation. The series is a sharp reminder of the times, as some of the paintings presented remind us of recent images coming out of Gaza amidst the ongoing genocide, such as people and trees standing in rows or the line of images of faces that could belong to martyrs or people who left their homes to seek protection.
“These artworks are more than mere images; they are visual chronicles of a place and its people,” says Ziad Anani, director of Zawyeh Gallery. “Barakat’s use of collage and symbolism creates a mosaic of social landscapes and historical echoes, bridging past with present amidst the backdrop of occupation.” Explore the exhibition at https://zawyeh.net/gaza-recalling-the-collage-of-a-place/